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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in GL50, CheltenhamNickel is over the limit.Very hard.

Supplied by Severn Trent. 931 samples, 20 substances, latest on 22 December 2025. Nickel came in above the legal limit. Everything else passed.

See the filter we recommendSee everything that was tested

8.5 / 10

The tank is as full as the score. The specks are the minerals that make water hard.

What to do about it

Waterdrop G3P600 Reverse Osmosis

Waterdrop G3P600 Reverse Osmosis

£550typical price

Removes nickel, the result that stood out in GL50.

Check price at Waterdrop (opens in new tab)

Stop the limescale

At 258 mg/L a softener is the only thing that stops limescale. Filters do not soften water.

Get softener quotes for GL50
BRITA Marella XL + MAXTRA PRO

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 GL50 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 is over its legal limit, at 142% of it.

0%25%50%75%limitLegal limitSelenium: 0.00015 mg/L, <1% of the 0.04 mg/L limitSelenium<1%Cadmium: 0.00002 mg/L, <1% of the 0.005 mg/L limitCadmium<1%Nitrite: 0.003 mg/L, <1% of the 0.5 mg/L limitNitrite<1%Chromium: 0.00042 mg/L, <1% of the 0.05 mg/L limitChromium<1%Copper: 0.0172 mg/L, <1% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper<1%Lead: 0.00014 mg/L, 1% of the 0.01 mg/L limitLead1%Manganese: 0.00073 mg/L, 1% of the 0.05 mg/L limitManganese1%Turbidity: 0.12 NTU, 3% of the 4 NTU limitTurbidity3%Arsenic: 0.0003 mg/L, 3% of the 0.01 mg/L limitArsenic3%Iron: 0.007 mg/L, 3% of the 0.2 mg/L limitIron3%Fluoride: 0.06 mg/L, 4% of the 1.5 mg/L limitFluoride4%Antimony: 0.000226 mg/L, 5% of the 0.005 mg/L limitAntimony5%Colour: 1 mg/L Pt/Co, 5% of the 20 mg/L Pt/Co limitColour5%Aluminium: 0.021 mg/L, 11% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium11%Nitrate: 20.4 mg/L, 41% of the 50 mg/L limitNitrate41%Trihalomethanes: 0.0565 mg/L, 56% of the 0.1 mg/L limitTrihalomethanes56%Nickel: 0.0284 mg/L, 142% of the 0.02 mg/L limitNickel142%
  1. Nickel142%
  2. Trihalomethanes56%
  3. Nitrate41%
  4. Aluminium11%
  5. Colour5%
  6. Antimony5%
  7. Fluoride4%
  8. Iron3%
  9. Turbidity3%
  10. Arsenic3%
  11. Manganese1%
  12. Lead1%
  13. Copper<1%
  14. Chromium<1%
  15. Nitrite<1%
  16. Cadmium<1%
  17. Selenium<1%
  • pH 7.54 pH
  • Conductivity 306 µS/cm
  • Phosphate 1.05 mg/L
All 20 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Nickel0.0284 mg/L0.02 mg/L
142%
Iron0.007 mg/L0.2 mg/L
3%
Turbidity0.12 NTU4 NTU
3%
Lead0.00014 mg/L0.01 mg/L
1%
Antimony0.000226 mg/L0.005 mg/L
5%
Selenium0.00015 mg/L0.04 mg/L
<1%
Colour1 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
5%
pH7.54 pHNo legal limit–
Aluminium0.021 mg/L0.2 mg/L
11%
Manganese0.00073 mg/L0.05 mg/L
1%
Copper0.0172 mg/L2 mg/L
<1%
Nitrate20.4 mg/L50 mg/L
41%
Fluoride0.06 mg/L1.5 mg/L
4%
Nitrite0.003 mg/L0.5 mg/L
<1%
Arsenic0.0003 mg/L0.01 mg/L
3%
Cadmium0.00002 mg/L0.005 mg/L
<1%
Chromium0.00042 mg/L0.05 mg/L
<1%
Conductivity306 µS/cmNo legal limit–
Trihalomethanes0.0565 mg/L0.1 mg/L
56%
Phosphate1.05 mg/LNo legal limit–

258mg of limescale minerals in every litre, typical for the GL area. GL50 has no reading of its own.

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.

Soft400 mg/L

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Outside your tap

Your river is the Chelt - source to M5, rated moderate

The Environment Agency rated the Chelt - source to M5 as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. 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

Within 10 km

25

forever-chemical detections in nearby rivers and groundwater

At 5 sites. The highest was 6:2 FTSA at 0.017 µg/L, at Brockhampton, Whitehall Farm Spring, 7.5 km away, in June 2023. These are river and borehole samples, not tests of your tap water.

Every PFAS sample around Gloucester · Which filters remove PFAS · PFAS explained

GL50 in short

Tap water in GL50 (Cheltenham) is supplied by Severn Trent in the Cheltenham Central zone and scores 8.5 out of 10, against an England and Wales average of 9.0. 1 of 20 tested substances was close to or over a limit. The latest sample is from 22 December 2025.

  • Nickel was measured at 0.028 mg/L, 42% over the UK limitIt is the only one of 20 tested substances to go over its limit. See the full results
  • The lowest score of the 4 areas tested in CheltenhamGL50 scores 8.5 out of 10. The best in Cheltenham, GL52, scores 9.5. Every area in Cheltenham
  • Every one of the 3 neighbouring districts scores higherGL52 next door scores 9.5, against 8.5 here. Supply zones, not distance, explain the gap. See GL52

Next door

GL519.4 out of 10 · 258 mg/LGL529.5 out of 10 · 258 mg/LGL539.0 out of 10 · 258 mg/L

Questions about GL50 water

Is GL50 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, GL50 (Cheltenham) water scores 8.5/10, which is safe. 1 of 20 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Severn Trent.

What contaminants are in GL50 water?

We tested 20 contaminants in GL50 water. 1 were flagged, including Nickel. PFAS (forever chemicals) were also measured in rivers and groundwater within 10 km, though not in the tap-water tests themselves.

Who supplies water in GL50?

GL50 (Cheltenham) is supplied by Severn Trent. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.

Is GL50 water hard or soft?

No hardness reading has been published for GL50 itself. Across the GL postcode area the typical value is 258 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 GL50?

With 1 contaminant above recommended levels in GL50, a water filter could help. A reverse osmosis or activated carbon filter is recommended for PFAS removal. See our filter recommendations for your area.

Are there PFAS forever chemicals in GL50 water?

The tap-water tests we hold for GL50 do not include a PFAS result. Environment Agency monitoring found PFAS in 25 river and groundwater samples from 5 sites within 10 km of GL50, the highest being 6:2 FTSA at 0.017 µg/L about 7.5 km away. These are environmental samples, not tests of tap water. The UK currently has no legal limit for PFAS in drinking water; the Drinking Water Inspectorate uses a 0.1 µg/L guideline for individual compounds. Reverse osmosis filters can reduce PFAS levels.

How clean is the river near GL50?

The Environment Agency rated the Chelt - source to M5 as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. 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 GL50, which is treated before it reaches homes.

Keep reading

PFAS explainedHow to test your waterBest water filtersFilter shower headsWater testing kitsAll of CheltenhamUK water rankingsWater hardness checkerWater hardness map

River and groundwater readings near GL50

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
Turbidity7.2 NTU4 NTU
pH8.3 pHNone
Temperature16.4 °CNone
Nitrate2.85 mg/L50 mg/L
Hardness (as CaCO3)277 mg/LNone
Chromium0.000523 mg/L0.05 mg/L
Zinc0.00796 mg/LNone
Copper0.00399 mg/L2 mg/L
Dissolved Oxygen7.45 mg/LNone
Nickel0.00151 mg/L0.02 mg/L
Ammonia0.204 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Phosphate0.248 mg/LNone
Conductivity609 µS/cmNone
Nitrite0.0258 mg/L0.5 mg/L

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We'll email you when water quality data changes for GL50.

Source: Severn Trent 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