Tap water in CH1, Cheshire West and ChesterSafe to drink.Moderately soft.
Supplied by United Utilities. 46 samples, 8 substances, latest on 25 August 2024. Everything is inside the legal limit, and nothing comes close to it.
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
£40typical price
Households concerned about PFAS and heavy metals
Waterdrop 10UA Under Sink
£70typical price
High-volume under-sink filtration without RO complexity
BRITA Marella XL + MAXTRA PRO
£25typical price
Basic chlorine and taste improvement on a budget
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 CH1 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.
Nickel came closest to a limit, at 15% of it. 8 of 8 substances used under a quarter of theirs.
- Nickel15%
- Bromate8%
- Lead6%
- Aluminium4%
- Turbidity4%
- Iron3%
- Manganese<1%
- Copper<1%
95mg of limescale minerals in every litre, typical for the CH area. CH1 has no reading of its own.
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.
Your river is the Finchetts Gutter, rated poor
The Environment Agency rated the Finchetts Gutter 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 dissolved oxygen, insects and other small river life and water plants and algae. 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
CH1 in short
Tap water in CH1 (Cheshire West and Chester) is supplied by United Utilities in the Cheshire West and Chester Central zone and scores 9.4 out of 10, against an England and Wales average of 9.0. None of the 8 tested substances came close to a limit. The latest sample is from 25 August 2024.
- The newest sample here is from August 2024That is over 2 years old, so treat this page as a record of past results rather than today's tap water.
- 2nd cleanest of 14 areas tested in Cheshire West and ChesterOnly 1 area in Cheshire West and Chester scored higher. The best is CW7 on 9.5.
- Nothing tested came within 40% of its legal limitThe highest was Nickel at 15% of the 0.02 mg/L maximum. See every reading
Questions about CH1 water
Is CH1 tap water safe to drink?
Based on the latest tests, CH1 (Cheshire West and Chester) water scores 9.4/10, which is safe. 0 of 8 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by United Utilities.
What contaminants are in CH1 water?
We tested 8 contaminants in CH1 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels.
Who supplies water in CH1?
CH1 (Cheshire West and Chester) is supplied by United Utilities. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.
Is CH1 water hard or soft?
No hardness reading has been published for CH1 itself. Across the CH postcode area the typical value is 95 mg/L CaCO3, which is classified as moderately soft. This is a moderate hardness level.
Should I use a water filter in CH1?
CH1 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 CH1 water?
No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for CH1, 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 CH1?
The Environment Agency rated the Finchetts Gutter 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 dissolved oxygen, insects and other small river life and water plants and algae. 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 CH1, which is treated before it reaches homes.
Keep reading
- Is UK Tap Water Safe?Everything you need to know about tap water safety in the UK
- Best Water Filters UKEvery filter type compared on what it actually removes
- How to Test Your Tap WaterFrom DIY strips to professional lab analysis
- Best Water Filter Jug UKBRITA vs ZeroWater vs the rest, tested against real data
How to test your waterBest water filtersFilter shower headsWater testing kitsUK water rankingsWater hardness checkerWater hardness map
River and groundwater readings near CH1
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.
| Substance | Reading | Drinking water limit |
|---|---|---|
| Ammonia | 1.1 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L |
| Temperature | 16.8 °C | None |
| pH | 7.63 pH | None |
| Conductivity | 993 µS/cm | None |
| Nitrate | 0.19 mg/L | 50 mg/L |
| Nitrite | 0.0098 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L |
| Phosphate | 1.3 mg/L | None |
| Dissolved Oxygen | 1.62 mg/L | None |
| Hardness (as CaCO3) | 72.2 mg/L | None |
| Fluoride | 0.063 mg/L | 1.5 mg/L |
| Aluminium | 0.051 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L |
Get alerts for your area
We'll email you when water quality data changes for CH1.