Tap water in CW6, Cheshire West and ChesterSafe to drink.Soft.
Supplied by United Utilities. 2,010 samples, 17 substances, latest on 13 December 2024. Everything is inside the legal limit, and nothing comes close to it.
9.0 / 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
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What's in a glass of CW6 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.
Fluoride came closest to a limit, at 65% of it. 15 of 17 substances used under a quarter of theirs.
- Fluoride65%
- Trihalomethanes37%
- Nitrate10%
- Ammonia6%
- Antimony6%
- Lead6%
- Turbidity4%
- Nickel4%
- Bromate3%
- Aluminium2%
- Selenium2%
- Iron2%
- Cadmium2%
- Chromium2%
- Nitrite2%
- Manganese<1%
- Copper<1%
All 17 results as a table
| Substance | Result | Legal limit | Share of limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cadmium | 0.00009 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | 2% |
| Chromium | 0.00083 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | 2% |
| Antimony | 0.00031 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | 6% |
| Selenium | 0.00085 mg/L | 0.04 mg/L | 2% |
| Turbidity | 0.16 NTU | 4 NTU | 4% |
| Fluoride | 0.98 mg/L | 1.5 mg/L | 65% |
| Nitrate | 4.78 mg/L | 50 mg/L | 10% |
| Nitrite | 0.0075 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L | 2% |
| Ammonia | 0.0321 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L | 6% |
| Aluminium | 0.00466 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 2% |
| Iron | 0.0039 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 2% |
| Manganese | 0.00037 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | <1% |
| Trihalomethanes | 0.0367 mg/L | 0.1 mg/L | 37% |
| Bromate | 0.00033 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 3% |
| Copper | 0.0000104 mg/L | 2 mg/L | <1% |
| Nickel | 0.00077 mg/L | 0.02 mg/L | 4% |
| Lead | 0.00055 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 6% |
16mg 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.
Your river is the Wettenhall Brook, rated moderate
The Environment Agency rated the Wettenhall Brook as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by phosphate, fish and insects and other small river life. 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
CW6 in short
Tap water in CW6 (Cheshire West and Chester) is supplied by United Utilities in the Cheshire West and Chester Central zone and scores 9.0 out of 10, against an England and Wales average of 9.0. None of the 17 tested substances came close to a limit. The latest sample is from 13 December 2024.
- 13th cleanest of 14 areas tested in Cheshire West and Chester1 area in Cheshire West and Chester scored lower. The best is CW7 on 9.5.
- Fluoride is the reading closest to its limit, at 65% of the 1.5 mg/L maximumIt passed with room to spare, and everything else tested sat further below its limit. See every reading
- Soft water at 16 mg/LLimescale is not a problem in CW6, so skip softeners and scale filters entirely. How hardness is measured
Questions about CW6 water
Is CW6 tap water safe to drink?
Based on the latest tests, CW6 (Cheshire West and Chester) water scores 9/10, which is safe. 0 of 17 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by United Utilities.
What contaminants are in CW6 water?
We tested 17 contaminants in CW6 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels.
Who supplies water in CW6?
CW6 (Cheshire West and Chester) is supplied by United Utilities. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.
Is CW6 water hard or soft?
Water in CW6 (Cheshire West and Chester) has a hardness of 16 mg/L CaCO3, which is classified as soft. Soft water is gentle on appliances and skin.
Should I use a water filter in CW6?
CW6 water scored 9/10 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 CW6 water?
No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for CW6, 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 CW6?
The Environment Agency rated the Wettenhall Brook as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by phosphate, fish and insects and other small river life. 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 CW6, 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
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- 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 CW6
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.
Get alerts for your area
We'll email you when water quality data changes for CW6.