Tap water in HG3, North YorkshireSafe to drink.Moderately soft.
Supplied by Yorkshire Water. 1,611 samples, 25 substances, latest on 17 September 2026. Everything is inside the legal limit, and nothing comes close to it.
9.5 / 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 HG3 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 31% of it. 19 of 20 substances used under a quarter of theirs.
- Trihalomethanes31%
- Bromate22%
- Colour15%
- Nickel9%
- Nitrate7%
- Turbidity7%
- Iron7%
- Aluminium6%
- Fluoride4%
- Mercury4%
- Manganese4%
- Arsenic1%
- Boron1%
- Antimony1%
- Selenium1%
- Lead<1%
- Cadmium<1%
- Copper<1%
- Chromium<1%
- Nitrite0%
- E. coli none found
- Coliform Bacteria none found
- Conductivity 150 µS/cm
- Phosphate 0.929 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 |
| Colour | 3 mg/L Pt/Co | 20 mg/L Pt/Co | 15% |
| Conductivity | 150 µS/cm | No legal limit | – |
| Turbidity | 0.29 NTU | 4 NTU | 7% |
| Iron | 0.0136 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 7% |
| Manganese | 0.00186 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | 4% |
| Aluminium | 0.0111 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 6% |
| Phosphate | 0.929 mg/L | No legal limit | – |
| Nitrite | 0 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L | <1% |
| Nitrate | 3.73 mg/L | 50 mg/L | 7% |
| Hardness (as CaCO3) | 58.7 mg/L | No legal limit | – |
| Fluoride | 0.06 mg/L | 1.5 mg/L | 4% |
| Nickel | 0.00187 mg/L | 0.02 mg/L | 9% |
| Selenium | 0.00043 mg/L | 0.04 mg/L | 1% |
| Arsenic | 0.00012 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 1% |
| Antimony | 0.000055 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | 1% |
| Chromium | 0.00019 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | <1% |
| Cadmium | 0.000031 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | <1% |
| Boron | 0.012 mg/L | 1 mg/L | 1% |
| Mercury | 0.00004 mg/L | 0.001 mg/L | 4% |
| Bromate | 0.0022 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 22% |
| Trihalomethanes | 0.0313 mg/L | 0.1 mg/L | 31% |
| Lead | 0.00009 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | <1% |
| Copper | 0.00996 mg/L | 2 mg/L | <1% |
73mg 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 Nidd from Burstwith to Oak Beck, rated moderate
The Environment Agency rated the Nidd from Burstwith to Oak Beck 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. 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
HG3 in short
Tap water in HG3 (North Yorkshire) is supplied by Yorkshire Water in the North Yorkshire Central zone and scores 9.5 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 17 September 2026.
- 7th cleanest of 28 areas tested in North YorkshireOnly 6 areas in North Yorkshire scored higher. The best is BD24 on 9.7.
- Nothing tested came within 40% of its legal limitThe highest was Trihalomethanes at 31% of the 0.1 mg/L maximum. See every reading
- Moderately soft water at 73 mg/LLittle limescale to speak of in HG3. A softener would be money wasted. How hardness is measured
Questions about HG3 water
Is HG3 tap water safe to drink?
Based on the latest tests, HG3 (North Yorkshire) water scores 9.5/10, which is safe. 0 of 25 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Yorkshire Water.
What contaminants are in HG3 water?
We tested 25 contaminants in HG3 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels.
Who supplies water in HG3?
HG3 (North Yorkshire) is supplied by Yorkshire Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.
Is HG3 water hard or soft?
Water in HG3 (North Yorkshire) has a hardness of 73 mg/L CaCO3, which is classified as moderately soft. This is a moderate hardness level.
Should I use a water filter in HG3?
HG3 water scored 9.5/10 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 HG3 water?
No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for HG3, 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 HG3?
The Environment Agency rated the Nidd from Burstwith to Oak Beck 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. 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 HG3, 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 HG3
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Iron | 0.34 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L |
| pH | 7.55 pH | None |
| Temperature | 14.2 °C | None |
| Conductivity | 226 µS/cm | None |
| Ammonia | 0.043 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L |
| Nitrate | 0.81 mg/L | 50 mg/L |
| Nitrite | 0.0054 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L |
| Phosphate | 0.064 mg/L | None |
| Dissolved Oxygen | 9.27 mg/L | None |
| Lead | 0.00041 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L |
| Zinc | 0.039 mg/L | None |
| Nickel | 0.001 mg/L | 0.02 mg/L |
| Manganese | 0.023 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L |
| Copper | 0.00007 mg/L | 2 mg/L |
Get alerts for your area
We'll email you when water quality data changes for HG3.