Tap water in DL6, North YorkshireSafe to drink.Very hard.
Supplied by Yorkshire Water. 585 samples, 25 substances, latest on 11 September 2026. Everything is inside the legal limit, and nothing comes close to it.
8.9 / 10
The tank is as full as the score. The specks are the minerals that make water hard.
What to do about it
Hard water: compare softener quotes
At 249 mg/L a softener is the only thing that stops limescale. Filters do not soften water.
It pays for itself in most homes at this hardness, through a boiler that stays efficient and appliances that last.
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
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What's in a glass of DL6 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.
Lead came closest to a limit, at 64% of it. 18 of 20 substances used under a quarter of theirs.
- Lead64%
- Trihalomethanes28%
- Nitrate16%
- Colour15%
- Aluminium11%
- Arsenic8%
- Fluoride5%
- Mercury4%
- Iron3%
- Bromate3%
- Turbidity3%
- Nickel3%
- Boron2%
- Manganese2%
- Nitrite2%
- Copper1%
- Antimony1%
- Selenium1%
- Cadmium<1%
- Chromium<1%
- Conductivity 436 µS/cm
- Coliform Bacteria none found
- E. coli none found
- Phosphate 0.597 mg/L
All 25 results as a table
| Substance | Result | Legal limit | Share of limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turbidity | 0.11 NTU | 4 NTU | 3% |
| Conductivity | 436 µS/cm | No legal limit | – |
| Colour | 3 mg/L Pt/Co | 20 mg/L Pt/Co | 15% |
| Coliform Bacteria | 0 count/100ml | Must be zero | None found |
| E. coli | 0 count/100ml | Must be zero | None found |
| Aluminium | 0.0225 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 11% |
| Iron | 0.00629 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 3% |
| Manganese | 0.00101 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | 2% |
| Phosphate | 0.597 mg/L | No legal limit | – |
| Boron | 0.0232 mg/L | 1 mg/L | 2% |
| Cadmium | 0.000031 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | <1% |
| Nickel | 0.0005 mg/L | 0.02 mg/L | 3% |
| Chromium | 0.00019 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | <1% |
| Antimony | 0.000062 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | 1% |
| Arsenic | 0.00079 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 8% |
| Selenium | 0.00043 mg/L | 0.04 mg/L | 1% |
| Bromate | 0.0003 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 3% |
| Trihalomethanes | 0.0282 mg/L | 0.1 mg/L | 28% |
| Copper | 0.0295 mg/L | 2 mg/L | 1% |
| Lead | 0.0064 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 64% |
| Mercury | 0.00004 mg/L | 0.001 mg/L | 4% |
| Fluoride | 0.08 mg/L | 1.5 mg/L | 5% |
| Nitrite | 0.008 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L | 2% |
| Nitrate | 7.95 mg/L | 50 mg/L | 16% |
| Hardness (as CaCO3) | 270 mg/L | No legal limit | – |
249mg of limescale minerals in every litre
This is the water that furs up kettles
Very hard on the UK scale. It is fine to drink. It is hard on boilers, showers, skin and anything that heats water, and a jug or tap filter will not change that.
Softener quotes for DL6
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Your river is the Willow Beck Catchment (trib of Wiske), rated moderate
The Environment Agency rated the Willow Beck Catchment (trib of Wiske) 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, insects and other small river life and dissolved oxygen. 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
DL6 in short
Tap water in DL6 (North Yorkshire) is supplied by Yorkshire Water in the North Yorkshire Central zone and scores 8.9 out of 10, against an England and Wales average of 9.0. None of the 25 tested substances came close to a limit. The latest sample is from 11 September 2026.
- 24th cleanest of 28 areas tested in North Yorkshire4 areas in North Yorkshire scored lower. The best is BD24 on 9.7.
- Lead is the reading closest to its limit, at 64% of the 0.01 mg/L maximumIt passed with room to spare, and everything else tested sat further below its limit. See every reading
- Hard water at 249 mg/LHard starts at 180 mg/L, the point where a softener begins to pay for itself. Limescale will build up in DL6. How hardness is measured
Questions about DL6 water
Is DL6 tap water safe to drink?
Based on the latest tests, DL6 (North Yorkshire) water scores 8.9/10, which is safe. 0 of 25 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Yorkshire Water.
What contaminants are in DL6 water?
We tested 25 contaminants in DL6 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels.
Who supplies water in DL6?
DL6 (North Yorkshire) is supplied by Yorkshire Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.
Is DL6 water hard or soft?
Water in DL6 (North Yorkshire) has a hardness of 249 mg/L CaCO3, which is classified as hard. Hard water can cause limescale buildup. A water softener or filter jug may help.
Should I use a water filter in DL6?
DL6 water scored 8.9/10 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 DL6 water?
No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for DL6, 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 DL6?
The Environment Agency rated the Willow Beck Catchment (trib of Wiske) 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, insects and other small river life and dissolved oxygen. 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 DL6, which is treated before it reaches homes.
Keep reading
- Best Water Softener UKHarvey, Kinetico, BWT, Monarch and Water2Buy compared, with real costs
- Do I Need a Water Softener?The hardness bands, the symptoms, and a postcode check
- UK Water Hardness MapIs your water hard or soft, and does it matter?
- Is UK Tap Water Safe?Everything you need to know about tap water safety in the UK
- Do I need a water softener?The hardness bands, the symptoms, and when the answer is no
- Best water softener UKHarvey, Kinetico, BWT, Monarch and Water2Buy compared
- Water softener costUnit, fitting and salt, and how long the payback takes
- Installation explainedWhere it goes, the bypass tap, the drain, DIY or plumber
- Harvey vs KineticoThe two premium twin-cylinder brands, side by side
- Softener salt guideTablet, block or granular, and how much you get through
- Salt-free softenersConditioners and electronic descalers, honestly assessed
How to test your waterBest water filtersFilter shower headsWater testing kitsUK water rankingsWater hardness checkerWater hardness map
River and groundwater readings near DL6
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 | 2.1 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L |
| Manganese | 0.841 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L |
| pH | 8.13 pH | None |
| Temperature | 17.5 °C | None |
| Conductivity | 110 µS/cm | None |
| Phosphate | 0.16 mg/L | None |
| Dissolved Oxygen | 11 mg/L | None |
| Boron | 0.16 mg/L | 1 mg/L |
| Nitrate | 6.7 mg/L | 50 mg/L |
| Nitrite | 0.091 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L |
| Copper | 0.00311 mg/L | 2 mg/L |
| Zinc | 0.115 mg/L | None |
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