Water quality

Cambridge Water monitor the quality of the water supply and publish figures for villages around Cambridge.

Elsworth's data for the year 2000 is as follows:

Village	Zone	Hardness in oClarke	Fluoride in mg/l	Nitrate in mg/l
Elsworth	Bourn	22	0.15	36.2

What do these figures mean?

Hardness measures the amount of dissolved minerals in the water; calcium and magnesium, mainly in combination with bicarbonate, sulphate and chloride. A measurement of 1 is very soft; at 22, Elsworth has very hard water.

Fluoride occurs naturally, but can be added to the water supply to prevent dental problems as it helps your body make strong teeth. The level found here is lew.

Nitrate enters the water supply from the ground, where it is produced as a by-product of decaying vegetable matter. The EU and WHO limit for the amount in drinking water is 50mg/l.

Any questions?