Tap water in HU3, Kingston upon Hull, City ofNitrite is over the limit.Very hard.
Supplied by Yorkshire Water. 1,241 samples, 25 substances, latest on 16 September 2026. Nitrite came in above the legal limit. Everything else passed.
8.5 / 10
The tank is as full as the score. The specks are the minerals that make water hard.
What to do about it
Waterdrop G3P600 Reverse Osmosis
£550typical price
Removes nitrate, the result that stood out in HU3.
Stop the limescale
At 365 mg/L a softener is the only thing that stops limescale. Filters do not soften water.
Osmio PRO-III Ultimate Whole House
£499typical price
Removes nitrate, the result that stood out in HU3.
We earn a commission if you buy through these links, at no extra cost to you. It never changes which product we put first. How we make money
What's in a glass of HU3 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.
Nitrite is over its legal limit, at 170% of it.
- Nitrite170%
- Nitrate85%
- Colour15%
- Nickel10%
- Fluoride7%
- Trihalomethanes6%
- Aluminium6%
- Boron5%
- Mercury4%
- Iron3%
- Turbidity3%
- Copper2%
- Manganese2%
- Bromate2%
- Arsenic2%
- Lead1%
- Selenium1%
- Antimony1%
- Cadmium<1%
- Chromium<1%
- E. coli none found
- Conductivity 683 µS/cm
- Coliform Bacteria none found
- Phosphate 0.785 mg/L
All 25 results as a table
| Substance | Result | Legal limit | Share of limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrite | 0.85 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L | 170% |
| Nitrate | 42.5 mg/L | 50 mg/L | 85% |
| E. coli | 0 count/100ml | Must be zero | None found |
| Aluminium | 0.0111 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 6% |
| Iron | 0.00629 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 3% |
| Manganese | 0.00101 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | 2% |
| Turbidity | 0.11 NTU | 4 NTU | 3% |
| Conductivity | 683 µS/cm | No legal limit | – |
| Colour | 3 mg/L Pt/Co | 20 mg/L Pt/Co | 15% |
| Coliform Bacteria | 0 count/100ml | Must be zero | None found |
| Phosphate | 0.785 mg/L | No legal limit | – |
| Mercury | 0.00004 mg/L | 0.001 mg/L | 4% |
| Selenium | 0.00043 mg/L | 0.04 mg/L | 1% |
| Arsenic | 0.00018 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 2% |
| Trihalomethanes | 0.00605 mg/L | 0.1 mg/L | 6% |
| Fluoride | 0.1 mg/L | 1.5 mg/L | 7% |
| Nickel | 0.00193 mg/L | 0.02 mg/L | 10% |
| Chromium | 0.00021 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | <1% |
| Cadmium | 0.000031 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | <1% |
| Antimony | 0.000053 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | 1% |
| Copper | 0.047 mg/L | 2 mg/L | 2% |
| Lead | 0.00014 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 1% |
| Bromate | 0.0002 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 2% |
| Boron | 0.0513 mg/L | 1 mg/L | 5% |
| Hardness (as CaCO3) | 370 mg/L | No legal limit | – |
365mg 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 HU3
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Your river is the Beverley and Barmston Drain, rated moderate
The Environment Agency rated the Beverley and Barmston Drain as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by dissolved oxygen, 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
176
forever-chemical detections in nearby rivers and groundwater
At 4 sites. The highest was 6:2 FTSA at 0.13 µg/L, at Barrow Crossroads B/H, 9.3 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
HU3 in short
Tap water in HU3 (Kingston upon Hull, City of) is supplied by Yorkshire Water in the Kingston upon Hull, City of Central zone and scores 8.5 out of 10, against an England and Wales average of 9.0. 2 of 25 tested substances were close to or over a limit. The latest sample is from 16 September 2026.
- Nitrite was measured at 0.85 mg/L, 70% over the UK limitIt is the furthest over its limit of the 2 substances flagged here. See the full results
- The lowest score of the 9 areas tested in HullHU3 scores 8.5 out of 10. The best in Hull, HU7, scores 9. Every area in Hull
- Among the hardest water in the country at 365 mg/LVery hard starts at 250 mg/L. At this level kettles scale up within weeks and a softener is a normal purchase in HU3. How hardness is measured
Questions about HU3 water
Is HU3 tap water safe to drink?
Based on the latest tests, HU3 (Kingston upon Hull, City of) water scores 8.5/10, which is safe. 2 of 25 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Yorkshire Water.
What contaminants are in HU3 water?
We tested 25 contaminants in HU3 water. 2 were flagged, including Nitrite, 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 HU3?
HU3 (Kingston upon Hull, City of) is supplied by Yorkshire Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.
Is HU3 water hard or soft?
Water in HU3 (Kingston upon Hull, City of) has a hardness of 365 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 HU3?
With 2 contaminants above recommended levels in HU3, 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 HU3 water?
The tap-water tests we hold for HU3 do not include a PFAS result. Environment Agency monitoring found PFAS in 176 river and groundwater samples from 4 sites within 10 km of HU3, the highest being 6:2 FTSA at 0.13 µg/L about 9.3 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 river near HU3?
The Environment Agency rated the Beverley and Barmston Drain as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by dissolved oxygen, 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 HU3, 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 HU3
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 HU3.