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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in CA5, CumberlandSafe to drink.Moderately soft.

Supplied by United Utilities. 1,452 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

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Households concerned about PFAS and heavy metals

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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 CA5 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 26% of it. 15 of 16 substances used under a quarter of theirs.

0%25%50%75%limitLegal limitCopper: 0.0000117 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%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: 0.0048 mg/L, 2% of the 0.2 mg/L limitIron2%Aluminium: 0.00637 mg/L, 3% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium3%Bromate: 0.00036 mg/L, 4% of the 0.01 mg/L limitBromate4%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%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: 0.0259 mg/L, 26% of the 0.1 mg/L limitTrihalomethanes26%
  1. Trihalomethanes26%
  2. Nitrate11%
  3. Ammonia11%
  4. Antimony6%
  5. Lead6%
  6. Turbidity5%
  7. Nickel4%
  8. Bromate4%
  9. Aluminium3%
  10. Iron2%
  11. Selenium2%
  12. Nitrite2%
  13. Cadmium2%
  14. Chromium2%
  15. Manganese<1%
  16. Copper<1%
All 16 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Trihalomethanes0.0259 mg/L0.1 mg/L
26%
Cadmium0.00009 mg/L0.005 mg/L
2%
Chromium0.00083 mg/L0.05 mg/L
2%
Antimony0.00031 mg/L0.005 mg/L
6%
Selenium0.00085 mg/L0.04 mg/L
2%
Nitrate5.45 mg/L50 mg/L
11%
Nitrite0.0098 mg/L0.5 mg/L
2%
Ammonia0.054 mg/L0.5 mg/L
11%
Aluminium0.00637 mg/L0.2 mg/L
3%
Iron0.0048 mg/L0.2 mg/L
2%
Manganese0.00037 mg/L0.05 mg/L
<1%
Turbidity0.2 NTU4 NTU
5%
Copper0.0000117 mg/L2 mg/L
<1%
Nickel0.00077 mg/L0.02 mg/L
4%
Lead0.00055 mg/L0.01 mg/L
6%
Bromate0.00036 mg/L0.01 mg/L
4%

100mg 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 Wampool (Upper), rated poor

The Environment Agency rated the Wampool (Upper) as poor for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is badly affected, with much of the expected wildlife missing. It is held back by fish and organic pollution (bod). 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

CA5 in short

Tap water in CA5 (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.

  • 20th cleanest of 25 areas tested in Cumberland5 areas in Cumberland scored lower. The best is CA18 on 9.7.
  • Nothing tested came within 40% of its legal limitThe highest was Trihalomethanes at 26% of the 0.1 mg/L maximum. See every reading
  • Moderately soft water at 100 mg/LLittle limescale to speak of in CA5. A softener would be money wasted. How hardness is measured

Next door

CA19.5 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/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 CA5 water

Is CA5 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, CA5 (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 CA5 water?

We tested 16 contaminants in CA5 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels.

Who supplies water in CA5?

CA5 (Cumberland) is supplied by United Utilities. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.

Is CA5 water hard or soft?

Water in CA5 (Cumberland) has a hardness of 100 mg/L CaCO3, which is classified as moderately soft. This is a moderate hardness level.

Should I use a water filter in CA5?

CA5 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 CA5 water?

No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for CA5, 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 CA5?

The Environment Agency rated the Wampool (Upper) as poor for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is badly affected, with much of the expected wildlife missing. It is held back by fish and organic pollution (bod). 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 river, not of tap water in CA5, 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 CA5

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
pH8.05 pHNone
Temperature14.5 °CNone
Nitrate2.1 mg/L50 mg/L
Nitrite0.013 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Phosphate0.086 mg/LNone
Dissolved Oxygen9.32 mg/LNone
Ammonia0.066 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Conductivity564 µS/cmNone
Copper0.00106 mg/L2 mg/L

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We'll email you when water quality data changes for CA5.

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