Tap water in DL9, North YorkshireSafe to drink.Very hard.
Supplied by Yorkshire Water. 535 samples, 25 substances, latest on 29 September 2026. 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
Hard water: compare softener quotes
At 277 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 DL9 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 42% of it. 19 of 20 substances used under a quarter of theirs.
- Trihalomethanes42%
- Colour15%
- Nitrate7%
- Aluminium6%
- Iron5%
- Mercury4%
- Manganese4%
- Fluoride3%
- Bromate3%
- Turbidity3%
- Antimony2%
- Nickel2%
- Arsenic2%
- Nitrite2%
- Cadmium1%
- Boron1%
- Selenium1%
- Lead<1%
- Chromium<1%
- Copper<1%
- E. coli none found
- Coliform Bacteria none found
- Conductivity 544 µS/cm
- Phosphate 0 mg/L
All 25 results as a table
| Substance | Result | Legal limit | Share of limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| E. coli | 0 count/100ml | Must be zero | None found |
| Coliform Bacteria | 0 count/100ml | Must be zero | None found |
| Aluminium | 0.0113 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 6% |
| Colour | 3 mg/L Pt/Co | 20 mg/L Pt/Co | 15% |
| Conductivity | 544 µS/cm | No legal limit | – |
| Iron | 0.00928 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 5% |
| Manganese | 0.00178 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | 4% |
| Turbidity | 0.11 NTU | 4 NTU | 3% |
| Phosphate | 0 mg/L | No legal limit | – |
| Antimony | 0.000114 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | 2% |
| Boron | 0.011 mg/L | 1 mg/L | 1% |
| Nickel | 0.00044 mg/L | 0.02 mg/L | 2% |
| Chromium | 0.00019 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | <1% |
| Cadmium | 0.000057 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | 1% |
| Mercury | 0.00004 mg/L | 0.001 mg/L | 4% |
| Fluoride | 0.05 mg/L | 1.5 mg/L | 3% |
| Bromate | 0.0003 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 3% |
| Copper | 0.00249 mg/L | 2 mg/L | <1% |
| Selenium | 0.00043 mg/L | 0.04 mg/L | 1% |
| Arsenic | 0.00016 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 2% |
| Trihalomethanes | 0.0415 mg/L | 0.1 mg/L | 42% |
| Nitrite | 0.008 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L | 2% |
| Nitrate | 3.73 mg/L | 50 mg/L | 7% |
| Lead | 0.00009 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | <1% |
| Hardness (as CaCO3) | 290 mg/L | No legal limit | – |
277mg 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 DL9
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Your river is the Colburn Beck/Risedale Bk from Source to R Swale, rated moderate
The Environment Agency rated the Colburn Beck/Risedale Bk from Source to R Swale 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 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
DL9 in short
Tap water in DL9 (North Yorkshire) is supplied by Yorkshire Water in the North Yorkshire Central zone and scores 9.4 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 29 September 2026.
- Very hard water at 277 mg/LThe threshold for very hard is 250 mg/L. Expect visible limescale on taps and in kettles in DL9. How hardness is measured
- Trihalomethanes is the reading closest to its limit, at 42% of the 0.1 mg/L maximumIt passed with room to spare, and everything else tested sat further below its limit. See every reading
- 13th cleanest of 28 areas tested in North YorkshireSquarely mid-table for North Yorkshire, between BD24 on 9.7 and YO62 on 8.6.
Questions about DL9 water
Is DL9 tap water safe to drink?
Based on the latest tests, DL9 (North Yorkshire) water scores 9.4/10, which is safe. 0 of 25 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Yorkshire Water.
What contaminants are in DL9 water?
We tested 25 contaminants in DL9 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels.
Who supplies water in DL9?
DL9 (North Yorkshire) is supplied by Yorkshire Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.
Is DL9 water hard or soft?
Water in DL9 (North Yorkshire) has a hardness of 277 mg/L CaCO3, which is classified as very hard. Hard water can cause limescale buildup. A water softener or filter jug may help.
Should I use a water filter in DL9?
DL9 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 DL9 water?
No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for DL9, 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 DL9?
The Environment Agency rated the Colburn Beck/Risedale Bk from Source to R Swale 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 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 DL9, 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 DL9
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | 19.5 °C | None |
| Conductivity | 439 µS/cm | None |
| Cadmium | 0.000052 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L |
| Ammonia | 0.042 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L |
| Nitrate | 1.4 mg/L | 50 mg/L |
| Nitrite | 0.061 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L |
| Hardness (as CaCO3) | 179 mg/L | None |
| Phosphate | 0.35 mg/L | None |
| Lead | 0.0001 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L |
| Zinc | 0.0071 mg/L | None |
| Nickel | 0.00064 mg/L | 0.02 mg/L |
| Manganese | 0.005 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L |
| Copper | 0.0001 mg/L | 2 mg/L |
Get alerts for your area
We'll email you when water quality data changes for DL9.