Tap water in HU18, East Riding of YorkshireSafe to drink.Very hard.
Supplied by Yorkshire Water. 454 samples, 25 substances, latest on 18 September 2026. Everything is inside the legal limit. One result, nitrate, sits close to the line.
9.0 / 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 242 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 HU18.
Osmio PRO-III Ultimate Whole House
£499typical price
Removes nitrate, the result that stood out in HU18.
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What's in a glass of HU18 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 87% of it. 17 of 20 substances used under a quarter of theirs.
- Nitrate87%
- Iron75%
- Bromate41%
- Colour15%
- Manganese10%
- Turbidity7%
- Aluminium6%
- Fluoride5%
- Mercury4%
- Trihalomethanes4%
- Nickel3%
- Boron2%
- Nitrite2%
- Lead1%
- Arsenic1%
- Antimony1%
- Selenium1%
- Cadmium<1%
- Chromium<1%
- Copper<1%
- Coliform Bacteria none found
- E. coli none found
- Conductivity 430 µS/cm
- Phosphate 0.85 mg/L
All 25 results as a table
| Substance | Result | Legal limit | Share of limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrate | 43.5 mg/L | 50 mg/L | 87% |
| Coliform Bacteria | 0 count/100ml | Must be zero | None found |
| Lead | 0.00014 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 1% |
| Trihalomethanes | 0.00364 mg/L | 0.1 mg/L | 4% |
| Nickel | 0.00069 mg/L | 0.02 mg/L | 3% |
| Chromium | 0.00019 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | <1% |
| Cadmium | 0.000031 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | <1% |
| Boron | 0.0199 mg/L | 1 mg/L | 2% |
| Mercury | 0.00004 mg/L | 0.001 mg/L | 4% |
| Selenium | 0.00043 mg/L | 0.04 mg/L | 1% |
| Arsenic | 0.00013 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 1% |
| Antimony | 0.000065 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | 1% |
| Fluoride | 0.07 mg/L | 1.5 mg/L | 5% |
| Nitrite | 0.008 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L | 2% |
| Bromate | 0.0041 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 41% |
| Copper | 0.00414 mg/L | 2 mg/L | <1% |
| E. coli | 0 count/100ml | Must be zero | None found |
| Hardness (as CaCO3) | 214 mg/L | No legal limit | – |
| Turbidity | 0.27 NTU | 4 NTU | 7% |
| Manganese | 0.00499 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | 10% |
| Colour | 3 mg/L Pt/Co | 20 mg/L Pt/Co | 15% |
| Conductivity | 430 µS/cm | No legal limit | – |
| Iron | 0.15 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 75% |
| Aluminium | 0.0111 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 6% |
| Phosphate | 0.85 mg/L | No legal limit | – |
242mg 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 HU18
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Your river is the Stream Dyke Hornsea Mere to N Sea, rated moderate
The Environment Agency rated the Stream Dyke Hornsea Mere to N Sea as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by insects and other small river life 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.
None of this is a test of your tap water. Environment Agency record · River health across England
HU18 in short
Tap water in HU18 (East Riding of Yorkshire) is supplied by Yorkshire Water in the East Riding of Yorkshire Central zone and scores 9.0 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 18 September 2026.
- Nitrate is within its legal limit but flagged, at 87% 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
- Hard water at 242 mg/LHard starts at 180 mg/L, the point where a softener begins to pay for itself. Limescale will build up in HU18. How hardness is measured
- 6th cleanest of 18 areas tested in HullOnly 5 areas in Hull scored higher. The best is DN14 on 9.2. Every area in Hull
Questions about HU18 water
Is HU18 tap water safe to drink?
Based on the latest tests, HU18 (East Riding of Yorkshire) water scores 9/10, which is safe. 1 of 25 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Yorkshire Water.
What contaminants are in HU18 water?
We tested 25 contaminants in HU18 water. 1 were flagged, including Nitrate.
Who supplies water in HU18?
HU18 (East Riding of Yorkshire) is supplied by Yorkshire Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.
Is HU18 water hard or soft?
Water in HU18 (East Riding of Yorkshire) has a hardness of 242 mg/L CaCO3, which is classified as hard. Hard water can cause limescale buildup. A water softener or filter jug may help.
Should I use a water filter in HU18?
With 1 contaminant above recommended levels in HU18, a water filter could help. A filter jug or under-sink filter can reduce most common contaminants. See our filter recommendations for your area.
Are there PFAS forever chemicals in HU18 water?
No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for HU18, 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 HU18?
The Environment Agency rated the Stream Dyke Hornsea Mere to N Sea as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by insects and other small river life 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. This is a rating of the river, not of tap water in HU18, which is treated before it reaches homes.
Keep reading
- 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
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- 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
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- Softener salt guideTablet, block or granular, and how much you get through
- Salt-free softenersConditioners and electronic descalers, honestly assessed
Nitrate levelsHow to test your waterBest water filtersFilter shower headsWater testing kitsAll of HullUK water rankingsWater hardness checkerWater hardness map
River and groundwater readings near HU18
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.
Get alerts for your area
We'll email you when water quality data changes for HU18.