Tap water in HU1, Kingston upon Hull, City ofSafe to drink.Very hard.
Supplied by Yorkshire Water. 895 samples, 25 substances, latest on 3 September 2026. Everything is inside the legal limit. One result, nitrate, sits close to the line.
8.9 / 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 355 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.
Waterdrop G3P600 Reverse Osmosis
£550typical price
Removes nitrate, the result that stood out in HU1.
Osmio PRO-III Ultimate Whole House
£499typical price
Removes nitrate, the result that stood out in HU1.
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What's in a glass of HU1 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.
Nitrate came closest to a limit, at 89% of it. 19 of 20 substances used under a quarter of theirs.
- Nitrate89%
- Colour15%
- Nickel10%
- Trihalomethanes8%
- Fluoride6%
- Aluminium6%
- Boron6%
- Mercury4%
- Lead4%
- Iron3%
- Copper3%
- Turbidity3%
- Manganese2%
- Bromate2%
- Arsenic2%
- Nitrite2%
- Selenium1%
- Antimony1%
- Cadmium<1%
- Chromium<1%
- E. coli none found
- Coliform Bacteria none found
- Conductivity 686 µS/cm
- Phosphate 0.757 mg/L
All 25 results as a table
| Substance | Result | Legal limit | Share of limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrate | 44.4 mg/L | 50 mg/L | 89% |
| E. coli | 0 count/100ml | Must be zero | None found |
| Coliform Bacteria | 0 count/100ml | Must be zero | None found |
| Bromate | 0.0002 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 2% |
| Mercury | 0.00004 mg/L | 0.001 mg/L | 4% |
| Manganese | 0.00101 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | 2% |
| Iron | 0.00629 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 3% |
| Aluminium | 0.0111 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 6% |
| Nitrite | 0.008 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L | 2% |
| Colour | 3 mg/L Pt/Co | 20 mg/L Pt/Co | 15% |
| Turbidity | 0.11 NTU | 4 NTU | 3% |
| Conductivity | 686 µS/cm | No legal limit | – |
| Trihalomethanes | 0.00832 mg/L | 0.1 mg/L | 8% |
| Copper | 0.058 mg/L | 2 mg/L | 3% |
| Selenium | 0.00043 mg/L | 0.04 mg/L | 1% |
| Fluoride | 0.09 mg/L | 1.5 mg/L | 6% |
| Lead | 0.00039 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 4% |
| Nickel | 0.00205 mg/L | 0.02 mg/L | 10% |
| Chromium | 0.00019 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | <1% |
| Cadmium | 0.000031 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | <1% |
| Boron | 0.0551 mg/L | 1 mg/L | 6% |
| Arsenic | 0.00018 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 2% |
| Antimony | 0.000053 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | 1% |
| Phosphate | 0.757 mg/L | No legal limit | – |
| Hardness (as CaCO3) | 355 mg/L | No legal limit | – |
355mg 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 HU1
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Your estuary is the Humber Middle, rated moderate
The Environment Agency rated the Humber Middle as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the estuary is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by nitrogen and seagrass and saltmarsh. 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
175
forever-chemical detections in nearby rivers and groundwater
At 3 sites. The highest was 6:2 FTSA at 0.13 µg/L, at Barrow Crossroads B/H, 10.0 km away, in April 2026. These are river and borehole samples, not tests of your tap water.
Every PFAS sample around Hull · Which filters remove PFAS · PFAS explained
HU1 in short
Tap water in HU1 (Kingston upon Hull, City of) is supplied by Yorkshire Water in the Kingston upon Hull, City of Central zone and scores 8.9 out of 10, against an England and Wales average of 9.0. 1 of 25 tested substances was close to or over a limit. The latest sample is from 3 September 2026.
- Nitrate is within its legal limit but flagged, at 89% of the 50 mg/L maximumAnything over three quarters of a limit is flagged here as worth watching. It has not gone over. See every reading
- Among the hardest water in the country at 355 mg/LVery hard starts at 250 mg/L. At this level kettles scale up within weeks and a softener is a normal purchase in HU1. How hardness is measured
- 2nd cleanest of 9 areas tested in HullOnly 1 area in Hull scored higher. The best is HU7 on 9. Every area in Hull
Questions about HU1 water
Is HU1 tap water safe to drink?
Based on the latest tests, HU1 (Kingston upon Hull, City of) water scores 8.9/10, which is safe. 1 of 25 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Yorkshire Water.
What contaminants are in HU1 water?
We tested 25 contaminants in HU1 water. 1 were flagged, including Nitrate. 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 HU1?
HU1 (Kingston upon Hull, City of) is supplied by Yorkshire Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.
Is HU1 water hard or soft?
Water in HU1 (Kingston upon Hull, City of) has a hardness of 355 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 HU1?
With 1 contaminant above recommended levels in HU1, 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 HU1 water?
The tap-water tests we hold for HU1 do not include a PFAS result. Environment Agency monitoring found PFAS in 175 river and groundwater samples from 3 sites within 10 km of HU1, the highest being 6:2 FTSA at 0.13 µg/L about 10 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 estuary near HU1?
The Environment Agency rated the Humber Middle as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the estuary is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by nitrogen and seagrass and saltmarsh. 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 estuary, not of tap water in HU1, which is treated before it reaches homes.
Keep reading
- Best Filter for PFAS RemovalThe filters with independent certification to remove forever chemicals
- PFAS Forever ChemicalsWhat PFAS are and how to reduce your exposure at home
- 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?
- Best Water Filters UKEvery filter type compared on what it actually removes
- 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
PFAS explainedNitrate levelsHow to test your waterBest water filtersFilter shower headsWater testing kitsAll of HullUK water rankingsWater hardness checkerWater hardness map
River and groundwater readings near HU1
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Ammonia | 0.58 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L |
| Turbidity | 451 NTU | 4 NTU |
| Boron | 0.24 mg/L | 1 mg/L |
| Dissolved Oxygen | 0.205 mg/L | None |
| pH | 7.64 pH | None |
| Temperature | 3.4 °C | None |
| Conductivity | 966 µS/cm | None |
| Nitrate | 4.4 mg/L | 50 mg/L |
| Nitrite | 0.24 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L |
| Phosphate | 0.087 mg/L | None |
| Copper | 0.162 mg/L | 2 mg/L |
| Zinc | 0.00848 mg/L | None |
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