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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in CA3, CumberlandSafe to drink.Moderately soft.

Supplied by United Utilities. 998 samples, 16 substances, latest on 31 December 2024. Everything is inside the legal limit, and nothing comes close to it.

See the filter we recommendSee everything that was tested

9.3 / 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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Basic chlorine and taste improvement on a budget

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What's in a glass of CA3 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.

Manganese came closest to a limit, at 29% 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%Nitrite: 0.0075 mg/L, 2% of the 0.5 mg/L limitNitrite2%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%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%Bromate: 0.0005 mg/L, 5% of the 0.01 mg/L limitBromate5%Iron: 0.01 mg/L, 5% of the 0.2 mg/L limitIron5%Lead: 0.00055 mg/L, 6% of the 0.01 mg/L limitLead6%Nitrate: 2.92 mg/L, 6% of the 50 mg/L limitNitrate6%Antimony: 0.00031 mg/L, 6% of the 0.005 mg/L limitAntimony6%Ammonia: 0.054 mg/L, 11% of the 0.5 mg/L limitAmmonia11%Aluminium: 0.0344 mg/L, 17% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium17%Trihalomethanes: 0.0236 mg/L, 24% of the 0.1 mg/L limitTrihalomethanes24%Manganese: 0.0146 mg/L, 29% of the 0.05 mg/L limitManganese29%
  1. Manganese29%
  2. Trihalomethanes24%
  3. Aluminium17%
  4. Ammonia11%
  5. Antimony6%
  6. Nitrate6%
  7. Lead6%
  8. Turbidity5%
  9. Bromate5%
  10. Iron5%
  11. Nickel4%
  12. Selenium2%
  13. Cadmium2%
  14. Chromium2%
  15. Nitrite2%
  16. Copper<1%
All 16 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Turbidity0.2 NTU4 NTU
5%
Nitrate2.92 mg/L50 mg/L
6%
Nitrite0.0075 mg/L0.5 mg/L
2%
Ammonia0.054 mg/L0.5 mg/L
11%
Aluminium0.0344 mg/L0.2 mg/L
17%
Iron0.01 mg/L0.2 mg/L
5%
Manganese0.0146 mg/L0.05 mg/L
29%
Bromate0.0005 mg/L0.01 mg/L
5%
Trihalomethanes0.0236 mg/L0.1 mg/L
24%
Copper0.0000104 mg/L2 mg/L
<1%
Nickel0.00077 mg/L0.02 mg/L
4%
Cadmium0.00009 mg/L0.005 mg/L
2%
Lead0.00055 mg/L0.01 mg/L
6%
Chromium0.00083 mg/L0.05 mg/L
2%
Antimony0.00031 mg/L0.005 mg/L
6%
Selenium0.00085 mg/L0.04 mg/L
2%

101mg 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 Eden - Eamont to tidal, rated moderate

The Environment Agency rated the Eden - Eamont to tidal 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. 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 dropped since the previous assessment.

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

CA3 in short

Tap water in CA3 (Cumberland) is supplied by United Utilities in the Cumberland Central zone and scores 9.3 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 31 December 2024.

  • The lowest score of the 25 areas tested in CumberlandCA3 scores 9.3 out of 10. The best in Cumberland, CA18, scores 9.7.
  • Every one of the 10 neighbouring districts scores higherCA4 next door scores 9.7, against 9.3 here. Supply zones, not distance, explain the gap. See CA4
  • Nothing tested came within 40% of its legal limitThe highest was Manganese at 29% of the 0.05 mg/L maximum. See every reading

Next door

CA19.5 out of 10 · 100 mg/LCA29.5 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/LCA79.4 out of 10 · 52 mg/LCA89.5 out of 10 · 72 mg/LCA129.4 out of 10 · 8 mg/LCA139.4 out of 10 · 8 mg/LCA149.4 out of 10 · 8 mg/L

Questions about CA3 water

Is CA3 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, CA3 (Cumberland) water scores 9.3/10, which is safe. 0 of 16 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by United Utilities.

What contaminants are in CA3 water?

We tested 16 contaminants in CA3 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels.

Who supplies water in CA3?

CA3 (Cumberland) is supplied by United Utilities. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.

Is CA3 water hard or soft?

Water in CA3 (Cumberland) has a hardness of 101 mg/L CaCO3, which is classified as moderately soft. This is a moderate hardness level.

Should I use a water filter in CA3?

CA3 water scored 9.3/10 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 CA3 water?

No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for CA3, 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 CA3?

The Environment Agency rated the Eden - Eamont to tidal 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. 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 dropped since the previous assessment. This is a rating of the river, not of tap water in CA3, 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 CA3

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
pH8.04 pHNone
Temperature15.7 °CNone
Conductivity493 µS/cmNone
Ammonia0.018 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Nitrate3.5 mg/L50 mg/L
Nitrite0.013 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Phosphate0.12 mg/LNone
Dissolved Oxygen8.94 mg/LNone
Copper0.00153 mg/L2 mg/L
Zinc0.00536 mg/LNone

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We'll email you when water quality data changes for CA3.

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