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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in CA28, CumberlandSafe to drink.Soft.

Supplied by United Utilities. 1,488 samples, 16 substances, latest on 23 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

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Households concerned about PFAS and heavy metals

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Waterdrop 10UA Under Sink

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High-volume under-sink filtration without RO complexity

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Basic chlorine and taste improvement on a budget

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What's in a glass of CA28 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 31% of it. 15 of 16 substances used under a quarter of theirs.

0%25%50%75%limitLegal limitCopper: 0.0000212 mg/L, <1% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper<1%Manganese: 0.00045 mg/L, <1% of the 0.05 mg/L limitManganese<1%Chromium: 0.00083 mg/L, 2% of the 0.05 mg/L limitChromium2%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%Iron: 0.007 mg/L, 3% of the 0.2 mg/L limitIron3%Aluminium: 0.00903 mg/L, 5% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium5%Bromate: 0.00046 mg/L, 5% of the 0.01 mg/L limitBromate5%Nitrate: 2.44 mg/L, 5% of the 50 mg/L limitNitrate5%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%Nickel: 0.00146 mg/L, 7% of the 0.02 mg/L limitNickel7%Ammonia: 0.054 mg/L, 11% of the 0.5 mg/L limitAmmonia11%Trihalomethanes: 0.0308 mg/L, 31% of the 0.1 mg/L limitTrihalomethanes31%
  1. Trihalomethanes31%
  2. Ammonia11%
  3. Nickel7%
  4. Antimony6%
  5. Lead6%
  6. Turbidity5%
  7. Nitrate5%
  8. Bromate5%
  9. Aluminium5%
  10. Iron3%
  11. Selenium2%
  12. Nitrite2%
  13. Cadmium2%
  14. Chromium2%
  15. Manganese<1%
  16. Copper<1%
All 16 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Nitrate2.44 mg/L50 mg/L
5%
Nitrite0.0098 mg/L0.5 mg/L
2%
Ammonia0.054 mg/L0.5 mg/L
11%
Turbidity0.2 NTU4 NTU
5%
Aluminium0.00903 mg/L0.2 mg/L
5%
Iron0.007 mg/L0.2 mg/L
3%
Manganese0.00045 mg/L0.05 mg/L
<1%
Trihalomethanes0.0308 mg/L0.1 mg/L
31%
Selenium0.00085 mg/L0.04 mg/L
2%
Bromate0.00046 mg/L0.01 mg/L
5%
Copper0.0000212 mg/L2 mg/L
<1%
Nickel0.00146 mg/L0.02 mg/L
7%
Lead0.00055 mg/L0.01 mg/L
6%
Cadmium0.00009 mg/L0.005 mg/L
2%
Chromium0.00083 mg/L0.05 mg/L
2%
Antimony0.00031 mg/L0.005 mg/L
6%

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 coastal water is the Solway Outer South, rated good

The Environment Agency rated the Solway Outer South as good for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the coastal water is only slightly changed from its natural state. 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. Its ecological rating has improved since the previous assessment.

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

CA28 in short

Tap water in CA28 (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 23 December 2024.

  • 19th cleanest of 25 areas tested in Cumberland6 areas in Cumberland scored lower. The best is CA18 on 9.7.
  • Soft water at 8 mg/LLimescale is not a problem in CA28, so skip softeners and scale filters entirely. How hardness is measured
  • Nothing tested came within 40% of its legal limitThe highest was Trihalomethanes at 31% of the 0.1 mg/L maximum. See every reading

Next door

CA129.4 out of 10 · 8 mg/LCA139.4 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/L

Questions about CA28 water

Is CA28 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, CA28 (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 CA28 water?

We tested 16 contaminants in CA28 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels.

Who supplies water in CA28?

CA28 (Cumberland) is supplied by United Utilities. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.

Is CA28 water hard or soft?

Water in CA28 (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 CA28?

CA28 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 CA28 water?

No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for CA28, 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 coastal water near CA28?

The Environment Agency rated the Solway Outer South as good for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the coastal water is only slightly changed from its natural state. 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. Its ecological rating has improved since the previous assessment. This is a rating of the coastal water, not of tap water in CA28, 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 CA28

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
Manganese0.267 mg/L0.05 mg/L
Iron1.76 mg/L0.2 mg/L
pH8.08 pHNone
Temperature8 °CNone
Conductivity395 µS/cmNone
Ammonia0.28 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Nitrate2.1 mg/L50 mg/L
Nitrite0.017 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Dissolved Oxygen11.8 mg/LNone
Phosphate0.02 mg/LNone
Hardness (as CaCO3)104 mg/LNone
Fluoride0.088 mg/L1.5 mg/L
Chromium0.000642 mg/L0.05 mg/L
Nickel0.0036 mg/L0.02 mg/L
Aluminium0.0574 mg/L0.2 mg/L

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We'll email you when water quality data changes for CA28.

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