Skip to main content
tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in CA12, CumberlandSafe to drink.Soft.

Supplied by United Utilities. 1,085 samples, 16 substances, latest on 30 December 2024. Everything is inside the legal limit, and nothing comes close to it.

See the filter we recommendSee everything that was tested

9.4 / 10

The tank is as full as the score. The specks are the minerals that make water hard.

What to do about it

ZeroWater 12-Cup Ready-Pour

ZeroWater 12-Cup Ready-Pour

£40typical price

Households concerned about PFAS and heavy metals

Check price at Amazon (opens in new tab)
Waterdrop 10UA Under Sink

Waterdrop 10UA Under Sink

£70typical price

High-volume under-sink filtration without RO complexity

Check price at Waterdrop (opens in new tab)
BRITA Marella XL + MAXTRA PRO

BRITA Marella XL + MAXTRA PRO

£25typical price

Basic chlorine and taste improvement on a budget

Check price at Amazon (opens in new tab)

We earn a commission if you buy through these links, at no extra cost to you. It never changes which product we put first. How we make money

What's in a glass of CA12 water

Every bubble is a substance the lab measured. The higher it floats, the closer it came to its legal limit, the dashed line at the top.

Trihalomethanes came closest to a limit, at 32% of it. 15 of 16 substances used under a quarter of theirs.

0%25%50%75%limitLegal limitCopper: 0.0000104 mg/L, <1% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper<1%Manganese: 0.00037 mg/L, <1% of the 0.05 mg/L limitManganese<1%Chromium: 0.00083 mg/L, 2% of the 0.05 mg/L limitChromium2%Iron: 0.0034 mg/L, 2% of the 0.2 mg/L limitIron2%Cadmium: 0.00009 mg/L, 2% of the 0.005 mg/L limitCadmium2%Nitrite: 0.0098 mg/L, 2% of the 0.5 mg/L limitNitrite2%Selenium: 0.00085 mg/L, 2% of the 0.04 mg/L limitSelenium2%Nickel: 0.00077 mg/L, 4% of the 0.02 mg/L limitNickel4%Turbidity: 0.2 NTU, 5% of the 4 NTU limitTurbidity5%Lead: 0.00055 mg/L, 6% of the 0.01 mg/L limitLead6%Antimony: 0.00031 mg/L, 6% of the 0.005 mg/L limitAntimony6%Bromate: 0.00066 mg/L, 7% of the 0.01 mg/L limitBromate7%Aluminium: 0.0135 mg/L, 7% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium7%Ammonia: 0.054 mg/L, 11% of the 0.5 mg/L limitAmmonia11%Nitrate: 5.45 mg/L, 11% of the 50 mg/L limitNitrate11%Trihalomethanes: 0.0322 mg/L, 32% of the 0.1 mg/L limitTrihalomethanes32%
  1. Trihalomethanes32%
  2. Nitrate11%
  3. Ammonia11%
  4. Aluminium7%
  5. Bromate7%
  6. Antimony6%
  7. Lead6%
  8. Turbidity5%
  9. Nickel4%
  10. Selenium2%
  11. Nitrite2%
  12. Cadmium2%
  13. Iron2%
  14. Chromium2%
  15. Manganese<1%
  16. Copper<1%
All 16 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Turbidity0.2 NTU4 NTU
5%
Trihalomethanes0.0322 mg/L0.1 mg/L
32%
Bromate0.00066 mg/L0.01 mg/L
7%
Nitrate5.45 mg/L50 mg/L
11%
Nitrite0.0098 mg/L0.5 mg/L
2%
Ammonia0.054 mg/L0.5 mg/L
11%
Copper0.0000104 mg/L2 mg/L
<1%
Cadmium0.00009 mg/L0.005 mg/L
2%
Chromium0.00083 mg/L0.05 mg/L
2%
Nickel0.00077 mg/L0.02 mg/L
4%
Lead0.00055 mg/L0.01 mg/L
6%
Antimony0.00031 mg/L0.005 mg/L
6%
Selenium0.00085 mg/L0.04 mg/L
2%
Aluminium0.0135 mg/L0.2 mg/L
7%
Iron0.0034 mg/L0.2 mg/L
2%
Manganese0.00037 mg/L0.05 mg/L
<1%

8mg of limescale minerals in every litre

Soft water. Kind to kettles, boilers and skin

You will not need a softener here, and you will use less soap and detergent than most of England.

Soft400 mg/L
Outside your tap

Your river is the Derwent US Bassenthwaite Lake, rated moderate

The Environment Agency rated the Derwent US Bassenthwaite Lake as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by fish and specific pollutants. It fails the chemical test, as every river, estuary and stretch of coast in England does, because of long-lasting pollutants such as mercury, PFOS (a forever chemical) and old flame retardants.

None of this is a test of your tap water. Environment Agency record · River health across England

CA12 in short

Tap water in CA12 (Cumberland) is supplied by United Utilities in the Cumberland Central zone and scores 9.4 out of 10, against an England and Wales average of 9.0. None of the 16 tested substances came close to a limit. The latest sample is from 30 December 2024.

  • 15th cleanest of 25 areas tested in CumberlandSquarely mid-table for Cumberland, between CA18 on 9.7 and CA3 on 9.3.
  • Soft water at 8 mg/LLimescale is not a problem in CA12, so skip softeners and scale filters entirely. How hardness is measured
  • Nothing tested came within 40% of its legal limitThe highest was Trihalomethanes at 32% of the 0.1 mg/L maximum. See every reading

Next door

CA139.4 out of 10 · 8 mg/LCA149.4 out of 10 · 8 mg/LCA159.4 out of 10 · 8 mg/LCA189.7 out of 10 · 8 mg/LCA19.5 out of 10 · 100 mg/LCA29.5 out of 10 · 101 mg/LCA39.3 out of 10 · 101 mg/LCA49.7 out of 10 · 100 mg/LCA59.4 out of 10 · 100 mg/LCA69.4 out of 10 · 72 mg/L

Questions about CA12 water

Is CA12 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, CA12 (Cumberland) water scores 9.4/10, which is safe. 0 of 16 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by United Utilities.

What contaminants are in CA12 water?

We tested 16 contaminants in CA12 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels.

Who supplies water in CA12?

CA12 (Cumberland) is supplied by United Utilities. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.

Is CA12 water hard or soft?

Water in CA12 (Cumberland) has a hardness of 8 mg/L CaCO3, which is classified as soft. Soft water is gentle on appliances and skin.

Should I use a water filter in CA12?

CA12 water scored 9.4/10 with no contaminants above recommended levels. A filter is optional but can improve taste, especially if you notice a chlorine flavour. See our filter recommendations for your area.

Are there PFAS forever chemicals in CA12 water?

No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for CA12, and the Environment Agency has no PFAS detections in rivers or groundwater within 10 km of it. That reflects where sampling has happened as much as the water itself.

How clean is the river near CA12?

The Environment Agency rated the Derwent US Bassenthwaite Lake as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by fish and specific pollutants. It fails the chemical test, as every river, estuary and stretch of coast in England does, because of long-lasting pollutants such as mercury, PFOS (a forever chemical) and old flame retardants. This is a rating of the river, not of tap water in CA12, which is treated before it reaches homes.

Keep reading

How to test your waterBest water filtersFilter shower headsWater testing kitsUK water rankingsWater hardness checkerWater hardness map

River and groundwater readings near CA12

Environment Agency samples from rivers, groundwater and reservoirs nearby. Not your tap water. For scale they are shown against drinking water limits; rivers are judged against much stricter environmental standards, and on those every river in England fails for chemicals.

SubstanceReadingDrinking water limit
Temperature8.7 °CNone
Nitrate0.43 mg/L50 mg/L
Phosphate0.0028 mg/LNone
pH7.52 pHNone
Conductivity72 µS/cmNone
Dissolved Oxygen12.5 mg/LNone
Lead0.0001 mg/L0.01 mg/L
Ammonia0.017 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Nitrite0.001 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Zinc0.0056 mg/LNone
Nickel0.00011 mg/L0.02 mg/L
Manganese0.0016 mg/L0.05 mg/L
Copper0.00014 mg/L2 mg/L
Iron0.038 mg/L0.2 mg/L

Get alerts for your area

We'll email you when water quality data changes for CA12.

Source: United Utilities test results, published through the Stream Water Data Portal; rivers and PFAS from the Environment Agency. Page updated . How we score · Where the data comes from