Tap water in LA1, LancasterSafe to drink.Soft.
Supplied by United Utilities. 2,232 samples, 16 substances, latest on 31 December 2024. Everything is inside the legal limit, and nothing comes close to it.
9.6 / 10
The tank is as full as the score. The specks are the minerals that make water hard.
What to do about it
ZeroWater 12-Cup Ready-Pour
£40typical price
Households concerned about PFAS and heavy metals
Waterdrop 10UA Under Sink
£70typical price
High-volume under-sink filtration without RO complexity
BRITA Marella XL + MAXTRA PRO
£25typical price
Basic chlorine and taste improvement on a budget
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What's in a glass of LA1 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 16% of it. 16 of 16 substances used under a quarter of theirs.
- Trihalomethanes16%
- Ammonia6%
- Antimony6%
- Lead6%
- Turbidity5%
- Aluminium4%
- Nitrate4%
- Nickel4%
- Iron3%
- Bromate3%
- Selenium2%
- Cadmium2%
- Chromium2%
- Nitrite2%
- Manganese<1%
- Copper<1%
All 16 results as a table
| Substance | Result | Legal limit | Share of limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aluminium | 0.00821 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 4% |
| Iron | 0.007 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 3% |
| Manganese | 0.00045 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | <1% |
| Cadmium | 0.00009 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | 2% |
| Chromium | 0.00083 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | 2% |
| Antimony | 0.00031 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | 6% |
| Selenium | 0.00085 mg/L | 0.04 mg/L | 2% |
| Bromate | 0.00033 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 3% |
| Copper | 0.0000104 mg/L | 2 mg/L | <1% |
| Nickel | 0.00077 mg/L | 0.02 mg/L | 4% |
| Lead | 0.00055 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 6% |
| Turbidity | 0.2 NTU | 4 NTU | 5% |
| Nitrate | 2.04 mg/L | 50 mg/L | 4% |
| Nitrite | 0.0075 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L | 2% |
| Ammonia | 0.0321 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L | 6% |
| Trihalomethanes | 0.0162 mg/L | 0.1 mg/L | 16% |
48mg 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.
Your estuary is the Lune, rated bad
The Environment Agency rated the Lune as bad for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the estuary is severely damaged, with most of the expected wildlife missing. It is held back by algal blooms, insects and other small river life and nitrogen. 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
LA1 in short
Tap water in LA1 (Lancaster) is supplied by United Utilities in the Lancaster Central zone and scores 9.6 out of 10, against an England and Wales average of 9.0. None of the 16 tested substances came close to a limit. The latest sample is from 31 December 2024.
- The cleanest tap water of the 6 areas tested in LancasterLA1 scores 9.6 out of 10, ahead of LA2 in second place on 9.5.
- Scores higher than all 5 neighbouring districtsThe nearest rival is LA3 on 9.5, against 9.6 here. Compare with LA3
- Soft water at 48 mg/LLimescale is not a problem in LA1, so skip softeners and scale filters entirely. How hardness is measured
Questions about LA1 water
Is LA1 tap water safe to drink?
Based on the latest tests, LA1 (Lancaster) water scores 9.6/10, which is safe. 0 of 16 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by United Utilities.
What contaminants are in LA1 water?
We tested 16 contaminants in LA1 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels.
Who supplies water in LA1?
LA1 (Lancaster) is supplied by United Utilities. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.
Is LA1 water hard or soft?
Water in LA1 (Lancaster) has a hardness of 48 mg/L CaCO3, which is classified as soft. Soft water is gentle on appliances and skin.
Should I use a water filter in LA1?
LA1 water scored 9.6/10 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 LA1 water?
No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for LA1, 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 estuary near LA1?
The Environment Agency rated the Lune as bad for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the estuary is severely damaged, with most of the expected wildlife missing. It is held back by algal blooms, insects and other small river life and nitrogen. 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 LA1, which is treated before it reaches homes.
Keep reading
- Is UK Tap Water Safe?Everything you need to know about tap water safety in the UK
- Best Water Filters UKEvery filter type compared on what it actually removes
- How to Test Your Tap WaterFrom DIY strips to professional lab analysis
- Best Water Filter Jug UKBRITA vs ZeroWater vs the rest, tested against real data
How to test your waterBest water filtersFilter shower headsWater testing kitsUK water rankingsWater hardness checkerWater hardness map
River and groundwater readings near LA1
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 LA1.