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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in HG5, North YorkshireSafe to drink.Moderately soft.

Supplied by Yorkshire Water. 946 samples, 25 substances, latest on 7 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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What's in a glass of HG5 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 49% of it. 19 of 20 substances used under a quarter of theirs.

0%25%50%75%limitLegal limitNitrite: 0 mg/L, 0% of the 0.5 mg/L limitNitrite0%Chromium: 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%Copper: 0.0199 mg/L, <1% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper<1%Boron: 0.0101 mg/L, 1% of the 1 mg/L limitBoron1%Selenium: 0.00043 mg/L, 1% of the 0.04 mg/L limitSelenium1%Arsenic: 0.00013 mg/L, 1% of the 0.01 mg/L limitArsenic1%Antimony: 0.000068 mg/L, 1% of the 0.005 mg/L limitAntimony1%Manganese: 0.00186 mg/L, 4% of the 0.05 mg/L limitManganese4%Fluoride: 0.06 mg/L, 4% of the 1.5 mg/L limitFluoride4%Mercury: 0.00004 mg/L, 4% of the 0.001 mg/L limitMercury4%Aluminium: 0.0111 mg/L, 6% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium6%Iron: 0.0136 mg/L, 7% of the 0.2 mg/L limitIron7%Turbidity: 0.29 NTU, 7% of the 4 NTU limitTurbidity7%Nitrate: 3.73 mg/L, 7% of the 50 mg/L limitNitrate7%Nickel: 0.00196 mg/L, 10% of the 0.02 mg/L limitNickel10%Colour: 3 mg/L Pt/Co, 15% of the 20 mg/L Pt/Co limitColour15%Bromate: 0.0019 mg/L, 19% of the 0.01 mg/L limitBromate19%Trihalomethanes: 0.0487 mg/L, 49% of the 0.1 mg/L limitTrihalomethanes49%
  1. Trihalomethanes49%
  2. Bromate19%
  3. Colour15%
  4. Nickel10%
  5. Nitrate7%
  6. Turbidity7%
  7. Iron7%
  8. Aluminium6%
  9. Fluoride4%
  10. Mercury4%
  11. Manganese4%
  12. Antimony1%
  13. Arsenic1%
  14. Selenium1%
  15. Boron1%
  16. Copper<1%
  17. Lead<1%
  18. Cadmium<1%
  19. Chromium<1%
  20. Nitrite0%
  • E. coli none found
  • Coliform Bacteria none found
  • Conductivity 150 µS/cm
  • Phosphate 1.22 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
Colour3 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
15%
Conductivity150 µS/cmNo legal limit–
Turbidity0.29 NTU4 NTU
7%
Iron0.0136 mg/L0.2 mg/L
7%
Manganese0.00186 mg/L0.05 mg/L
4%
Aluminium0.0111 mg/L0.2 mg/L
6%
Phosphate1.22 mg/LNo legal limit–
Bromate0.0019 mg/L0.01 mg/L
19%
Boron0.0101 mg/L1 mg/L
1%
Nickel0.00196 mg/L0.02 mg/L
10%
Chromium0.00019 mg/L0.05 mg/L
<1%
Cadmium0.000031 mg/L0.005 mg/L
<1%
Antimony0.000068 mg/L0.005 mg/L
1%
Selenium0.00043 mg/L0.04 mg/L
1%
Arsenic0.00013 mg/L0.01 mg/L
1%
Trihalomethanes0.0487 mg/L0.1 mg/L
49%
Fluoride0.06 mg/L1.5 mg/L
4%
Copper0.0199 mg/L2 mg/L
<1%
Nitrite0 mg/L0.5 mg/L
<1%
Nitrate3.73 mg/L50 mg/L
7%
Lead0.00009 mg/L0.01 mg/L
<1%
Mercury0.00004 mg/L0.001 mg/L
4%
Hardness (as CaCO3)70.7 mg/LNo legal limit–

104mg 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 Nidd from Low Bridge on Briggate (Knaresborough) to Crimple Beck, rated moderate

The Environment Agency rated the Nidd from Low Bridge on Briggate (Knaresborough) to Crimple 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 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

HG5 in short

Tap water in HG5 (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 7 September 2026.

  • Trihalomethanes is the reading closest to its limit, at 49% of the 0.1 mg/L maximumIt passed with room to spare, and everything else tested sat further below its limit. See every reading
  • 9th cleanest of 28 areas tested in North YorkshireOnly 8 areas in North Yorkshire scored higher. The best is BD24 on 9.7.
  • Moderately soft water at 104 mg/LLittle limescale to speak of in HG5. 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 HG5 water

Is HG5 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, HG5 (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 HG5 water?

We tested 25 contaminants in HG5 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels.

Who supplies water in HG5?

HG5 (North Yorkshire) is supplied by Yorkshire Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.

Is HG5 water hard or soft?

Water in HG5 (North Yorkshire) has a hardness of 104 mg/L CaCO3, which is classified as moderately soft. This is a moderate hardness level.

Should I use a water filter in HG5?

HG5 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 HG5 water?

No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for HG5, 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 HG5?

The Environment Agency rated the Nidd from Low Bridge on Briggate (Knaresborough) to Crimple 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 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 HG5, 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 HG5

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
pH7.61 pHNone
Temperature14.9 °CNone
Conductivity268 µS/cmNone
Nitrate2.4 mg/L50 mg/L
Nitrite0.017 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Phosphate0.083 mg/LNone
Dissolved Oxygen9.67 mg/LNone
Ammonia0.35 mg/L0.5 mg/L

Get alerts for your area

We'll email you when water quality data changes for HG5.

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