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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in HG4, North YorkshireSafe to drink.Moderately soft.

Supplied by Yorkshire Water. 916 samples, 25 substances, latest on 18 September 2026. Everything is inside the legal limit, and nothing comes close to it.

See the filter we recommendSee everything that was tested

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

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Basic chlorine and taste improvement on a budget

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What's in a glass of HG4 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 37% of it. 19 of 20 substances used under a quarter of theirs.

0%25%50%75%limitLegal limitChromium: 0.00019 mg/L, <1% of the 0.05 mg/L limitChromium<1%Cadmium: 0.000031 mg/L, <1% of the 0.005 mg/L limitCadmium<1%Lead: 0.00009 mg/L, <1% of the 0.01 mg/L limitLead<1%Boron: 0.0095 mg/L, <1% of the 1 mg/L limitBoron<1%Arsenic: 0.0001 mg/L, 1% of the 0.01 mg/L limitArsenic1%Selenium: 0.00043 mg/L, 1% of the 0.04 mg/L limitSelenium1%Antimony: 0.000058 mg/L, 1% of the 0.005 mg/L limitAntimony1%Nitrite: 0.008 mg/L, 2% of the 0.5 mg/L limitNitrite2%Turbidity: 0.13 NTU, 3% of the 4 NTU limitTurbidity3%Fluoride: 0.05 mg/L, 3% of the 1.5 mg/L limitFluoride3%Manganese: 0.00178 mg/L, 4% of the 0.05 mg/L limitManganese4%Copper: 0.0755 mg/L, 4% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper4%Mercury: 0.00004 mg/L, 4% of the 0.001 mg/L limitMercury4%Iron: 0.00928 mg/L, 5% of the 0.2 mg/L limitIron5%Aluminium: 0.0113 mg/L, 6% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium6%Nitrate: 3.73 mg/L, 7% of the 50 mg/L limitNitrate7%Nickel: 0.00157 mg/L, 8% of the 0.02 mg/L limitNickel8%Bromate: 0.0014 mg/L, 14% of the 0.01 mg/L limitBromate14%Colour: 3 mg/L Pt/Co, 15% of the 20 mg/L Pt/Co limitColour15%Trihalomethanes: 0.0373 mg/L, 37% of the 0.1 mg/L limitTrihalomethanes37%
  1. Trihalomethanes37%
  2. Colour15%
  3. Bromate14%
  4. Nickel8%
  5. Nitrate7%
  6. Aluminium6%
  7. Iron5%
  8. Mercury4%
  9. Copper4%
  10. Manganese4%
  11. Fluoride3%
  12. Turbidity3%
  13. Nitrite2%
  14. Antimony1%
  15. Selenium1%
  16. Arsenic1%
  17. Boron<1%
  18. Lead<1%
  19. Cadmium<1%
  20. Chromium<1%
  • E. coli none found
  • Coliform Bacteria none found
  • Conductivity 173 µS/cm
  • Phosphate 1.02 mg/L
All 25 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
E. coli0 count/100mlMust be zeroNone found
Coliform Bacteria0 count/100mlMust be zeroNone found
Aluminium0.0113 mg/L0.2 mg/L
6%
Iron0.00928 mg/L0.2 mg/L
5%
Nitrite0.008 mg/L0.5 mg/L
2%
Nitrate3.73 mg/L50 mg/L
7%
Conductivity173 µS/cmNo legal limit–
Turbidity0.13 NTU4 NTU
3%
Manganese0.00178 mg/L0.05 mg/L
4%
Colour3 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
15%
Phosphate1.02 mg/LNo legal limit–
Bromate0.0014 mg/L0.01 mg/L
14%
Selenium0.00043 mg/L0.04 mg/L
1%
Copper0.0755 mg/L2 mg/L
4%
Arsenic0.0001 mg/L0.01 mg/L
1%
Antimony0.000058 mg/L0.005 mg/L
1%
Trihalomethanes0.0373 mg/L0.1 mg/L
37%
Fluoride0.05 mg/L1.5 mg/L
3%
Boron0.0095 mg/L1 mg/L
<1%
Lead0.00009 mg/L0.01 mg/L
<1%
Nickel0.00157 mg/L0.02 mg/L
8%
Cadmium0.000031 mg/L0.005 mg/L
<1%
Chromium0.00019 mg/L0.05 mg/L
<1%
Mercury0.00004 mg/L0.001 mg/L
4%
Hardness (as CaCO3)64.9 mg/LNo legal limit–

62mg 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.

Soft400 mg/L
Outside your tap

Your river is the Kex Beck and the Laver, rated poor

The Environment Agency rated the Kex Beck and the Laver as poor for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is badly affected, with much of the expected wildlife missing. It is held back by fish, water plants and algae and 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. Its ecological rating has dropped since the previous assessment.

None of this is a test of your tap water. Environment Agency record · River health across England

HG4 in short

Tap water in HG4 (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 18 September 2026.

  • 8th cleanest of 28 areas tested in North YorkshireOnly 7 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 37% of the 0.1 mg/L maximum. See every reading
  • Moderately soft water at 62 mg/LLittle limescale to speak of in HG4. A softener would be money wasted. How hardness is measured

Next door

YO79.5 out of 10 · 250 mg/LHG19.5 out of 10 · 49 mg/LDL68.9 out of 10 · 249 mg/LDL78.9 out of 10 · 258 mg/LYO88.8 out of 10 · 277 mg/LYO119.4 out of 10 · 198 mg/LYO129.4 out of 10 · 199 mg/LYO139.2 out of 10 · 196 mg/LYO149.4 out of 10 · 238 mg/LDL109.4 out of 10 · 213 mg/L

Questions about HG4 water

Is HG4 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, HG4 (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 HG4 water?

We tested 25 contaminants in HG4 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels.

Who supplies water in HG4?

HG4 (North Yorkshire) is supplied by Yorkshire Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.

Is HG4 water hard or soft?

Water in HG4 (North Yorkshire) has a hardness of 62 mg/L CaCO3, which is classified as moderately soft. This is a moderate hardness level.

Should I use a water filter in HG4?

HG4 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 HG4 water?

No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for HG4, 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 HG4?

The Environment Agency rated the Kex Beck and the Laver as poor for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is badly affected, with much of the expected wildlife missing. It is held back by fish, water plants and algae and 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. Its ecological rating has dropped since the previous assessment. This is a rating of the river, not of tap water in HG4, which is treated before it reaches homes.

Keep reading

How to test your waterBest water filtersFilter shower headsWater testing kitsUK water rankingsWater hardness checkerWater hardness map

River and groundwater readings near HG4

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
pH8.48 pHNone
Temperature14.1 °CNone
Conductivity681 µS/cmNone
Nitrate4.3 mg/L50 mg/L
Nitrite0.014 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Phosphate0.056 mg/LNone
Dissolved Oxygen9.72 mg/LNone
Ammonia0.068 mg/L0.5 mg/L

Get alerts for your area

We'll email you when water quality data changes for HG4.

Source: Yorkshire Water 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