World water hardness map
Explore drinking-water hardness country by country. Highlighted countries have a detailed region-by-region map — click to zoom in.
Water hardness varies widely around the world depending on the geology water flows through: very hard in limestone regions, soft over granitic and volcanic ground. Hard water scales pipes and appliances and raises energy bills wherever it runs. The LIMPEO electromagnetic descaler, manufactured by MAGIIC SAS, treats hard water without salt, chemicals, or maintenance, whatever the starting hardness.
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Detailed country maps
These countries have a region-by-region water-hardness map, with sources and recommendations.
Find the hardness in your area
Pick your country to look up your region or department. Postal-code lookup is coming soon.
Recommendations based on your water hardness
Hardness reflects how much dissolved calcium and magnesium your water carries. Whatever unit the map shows, here are our recommendations based on your water hardness level:
Soft water
Your water is naturally soft. An anti-limescale device is not essential, but the LIMPEO can improve taste and provide preventive protection for your plumbing.
Medium water
Your water is starting to deposit limescale. A LIMPEO J-250 device is recommended to protect your pipes and household appliances.
Hard water
Limescale builds up rapidly in your plumbing. A LIMPEO J-250 or J-320 device is strongly recommended to reduce scaling and save up to 25% on your energy bills.
Very hard water
Your water is very hard: high risk of deposits, appliance breakdowns, and excessive energy consumption. A LIMPEO J-320 or J-630 is essential to protect your installation.
What is water hardness?
Water hardness measures the concentration of dissolved calcium (Ca²⁺) and magnesium (Mg²⁺) ions in water. Every country expresses it in its own unit: French degrees (°f), German degrees (°dH), parts per million (ppm, i.e. mg/L of CaCO₃), or grains per gallon (gpg) in the United States. This map lets you switch freely between these units. The exact thresholds differ slightly from one country to the next, but the principle is the same everywhere: the higher the value, the harder the water and the more limescale it leaves behind. Soft water carries few minerals; hard water carries many.
Why hardness varies from region to region
Water hardness depends above all on the geology the water flows through before reaching your tap. Sedimentary ground rich in limestone and chalk — common across much of Europe, the southern United States, and the Middle East — dissolves calcium and magnesium and produces hard water. Granitic and volcanic terrain (ancient massifs, mountain ranges, crystalline regions) yields soft water instead. That is why two cities in the same country, or even two neighbourhoods, can receive very different water. Hard water has the same consequences everywhere: it scales pipes and water heaters, lowers appliance efficiency, and pushes up energy bills.
What to do about hard water
If your region shows up as hard or very hard, protecting your plumbing quickly pays off. The LIMPEO electromagnetic descaler generates a pulsed magnetic field that modifies calcium carbonate crystallisation: instead of forming calcite (hard, adhesive crystals), calcium transforms into aragonite (fine, non-adhesive crystals). The result: limescale no longer deposits on surfaces and existing deposits gradually dissolve. The technology requires no salt, no chemicals, and no maintenance, and works whatever your starting hardness. LIMPEO is manufactured in France by MAGIIC SAS and backed by a 10-year warranty.
Frequently asked questions about water hardness
Protect your home from limescale
Discover the LIMPEO range: electromagnetic descaler with no salt, no chemicals, no maintenance. Made in France, 10-year warranty.