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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in LA2, LancasterSafe to drink.Soft.

Supplied by United Utilities. 1,282 samples, 16 substances, latest on 31 December 2024. 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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Households concerned about PFAS and heavy metals

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Waterdrop 10UA Under Sink

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High-volume under-sink filtration without RO complexity

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Basic chlorine and taste improvement on a budget

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What's in a glass of LA2 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 20% of it. 16 of 16 substances used under a quarter of theirs.

0%25%50%75%limitLegal limitCopper: 0.0000104 mg/L, <1% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper<1%Nitrite: 0.0075 mg/L, 2% of the 0.5 mg/L limitNitrite2%Manganese: 0.00078 mg/L, 2% of the 0.05 mg/L limitManganese2%Chromium: 0.00083 mg/L, 2% of the 0.05 mg/L limitChromium2%Cadmium: 0.00009 mg/L, 2% of the 0.005 mg/L limitCadmium2%Selenium: 0.00085 mg/L, 2% of the 0.04 mg/L limitSelenium2%Iron: 0.007 mg/L, 3% of the 0.2 mg/L limitIron3%Nickel: 0.00077 mg/L, 4% of the 0.02 mg/L limitNickel4%Turbidity: 0.16 NTU, 4% of the 4 NTU limitTurbidity4%Nitrate: 2.04 mg/L, 4% of the 50 mg/L limitNitrate4%Lead: 0.00055 mg/L, 6% of the 0.01 mg/L limitLead6%Antimony: 0.00031 mg/L, 6% of the 0.005 mg/L limitAntimony6%Aluminium: 0.0129 mg/L, 6% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium6%Bromate: 0.00067 mg/L, 7% of the 0.01 mg/L limitBromate7%Ammonia: 0.054 mg/L, 11% of the 0.5 mg/L limitAmmonia11%Trihalomethanes: 0.0199 mg/L, 20% of the 0.1 mg/L limitTrihalomethanes20%
  1. Trihalomethanes20%
  2. Ammonia11%
  3. Bromate7%
  4. Aluminium6%
  5. Antimony6%
  6. Lead6%
  7. Nitrate4%
  8. Turbidity4%
  9. Nickel4%
  10. Iron3%
  11. Selenium2%
  12. Cadmium2%
  13. Chromium2%
  14. Manganese2%
  15. Nitrite2%
  16. Copper<1%
All 16 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Nitrate2.04 mg/L50 mg/L
4%
Nitrite0.0075 mg/L0.5 mg/L
2%
Turbidity0.16 NTU4 NTU
4%
Ammonia0.054 mg/L0.5 mg/L
11%
Aluminium0.0129 mg/L0.2 mg/L
6%
Iron0.007 mg/L0.2 mg/L
3%
Copper0.0000104 mg/L2 mg/L
<1%
Manganese0.00078 mg/L0.05 mg/L
2%
Nickel0.00077 mg/L0.02 mg/L
4%
Lead0.00055 mg/L0.01 mg/L
6%
Bromate0.00067 mg/L0.01 mg/L
7%
Cadmium0.00009 mg/L0.005 mg/L
2%
Chromium0.00083 mg/L0.05 mg/L
2%
Antimony0.00031 mg/L0.005 mg/L
6%
Selenium0.00085 mg/L0.04 mg/L
2%
Trihalomethanes0.0199 mg/L0.1 mg/L
20%

22mg of limescale minerals in every litre, typical for the LA area. LA2 has no reading of its own.

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 Lune - conf Wenning to tidal, rated good

The Environment Agency rated the Lune - conf Wenning to tidal as good for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is only slightly changed from its natural state. 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. Its ecological rating has improved since the previous assessment.

None of this is a test of your tap water. Environment Agency record · River health across England

LA2 in short

Tap water in LA2 (Lancaster) is supplied by United Utilities in the Lancaster Central zone and scores 9.5 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.

  • 2nd cleanest of 6 areas tested in LancasterOnly 1 area in Lancaster scored higher. The best is LA1 on 9.6.
  • Soft water at 22 mg/LLimescale is not a problem across the LA postcode area, so skip softeners and scale filters entirely. How hardness is measured
  • Nothing tested came within 40% of its legal limitThe highest was Trihalomethanes at 20% of the 0.1 mg/L maximum. See every reading

Next door

LA39.5 out of 10 · 51 mg/LLA49.4 out of 10 · 51 mg/LLA59.4 out of 10 · 21 mg/LLA19.6 out of 10 · 48 mg/LLA69.4 out of 10 · 21 mg/L

Questions about LA2 water

Is LA2 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, LA2 (Lancaster) water scores 9.5/10, which is safe. 0 of 16 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by United Utilities.

What contaminants are in LA2 water?

We tested 16 contaminants in LA2 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels.

Who supplies water in LA2?

LA2 (Lancaster) is supplied by United Utilities. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.

Is LA2 water hard or soft?

No hardness reading has been published for LA2 itself. Across the LA postcode area the typical value is 22 mg/L CaCO3, which is classified as soft. Soft water is gentle on appliances and skin.

Should I use a water filter in LA2?

LA2 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 LA2 water?

No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for LA2, 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 LA2?

The Environment Agency rated the Lune - conf Wenning to tidal as good for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is only slightly changed from its natural state. 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. Its ecological rating has improved since the previous assessment. This is a rating of the river, not of tap water in LA2, 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 LA2

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
pH8.06 pHNone
Temperature10.7 °CNone
Conductivity119 µS/cmNone
Nitrate0.23 mg/L50 mg/L
Dissolved Oxygen10.7 mg/LNone
Ammonia0.049 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Phosphate0.03 mg/LNone
Copper0.00134 mg/L2 mg/L
Zinc0.131 mg/LNone
Nitrite0.0044 mg/L0.5 mg/L

Get alerts for your area

We'll email you when water quality data changes for LA2.

Source: United Utilities 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