Tap water in LS26, LeedsSafe to drink.Slightly hard.
Supplied by Yorkshire Water. 1,091 samples, 25 substances, latest on 16 September 2026. 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 LS26 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 27% of it. 19 of 20 substances used under a quarter of theirs.
- Trihalomethanes27%
- Nitrate16%
- Colour15%
- Bromate10%
- Aluminium6%
- Fluoride5%
- Nickel4%
- Mercury4%
- Iron3%
- Turbidity3%
- Antimony3%
- Manganese2%
- Boron2%
- Nitrite2%
- Lead1%
- Arsenic1%
- Selenium1%
- Copper<1%
- Cadmium<1%
- Chromium<1%
- Conductivity 606 µS/cm
- Coliform Bacteria none found
- E. coli none found
- Phosphate 1.39 mg/L
All 25 results as a table
| Substance | Result | Legal limit | Share of limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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% |
| Colour | 3 mg/L Pt/Co | 20 mg/L Pt/Co | 15% |
| Conductivity | 606 µS/cm | No legal limit | – |
| Coliform Bacteria | 0 count/100ml | Must be zero | None found |
| E. coli | 0 count/100ml | Must be zero | None found |
| Turbidity | 0.11 NTU | 4 NTU | 3% |
| Phosphate | 1.39 mg/L | No legal limit | – |
| Bromate | 0.001 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 10% |
| Copper | 0.0179 mg/L | 2 mg/L | <1% |
| Trihalomethanes | 0.0268 mg/L | 0.1 mg/L | 27% |
| Fluoride | 0.08 mg/L | 1.5 mg/L | 5% |
| Lead | 0.00015 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 1% |
| Antimony | 0.000128 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | 3% |
| Arsenic | 0.00013 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 1% |
| Selenium | 0.00043 mg/L | 0.04 mg/L | 1% |
| Nitrite | 0.008 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L | 2% |
| Nitrate | 7.82 mg/L | 50 mg/L | 16% |
| Chromium | 0.00019 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | <1% |
| Mercury | 0.00004 mg/L | 0.001 mg/L | 4% |
| Nickel | 0.00082 mg/L | 0.02 mg/L | 4% |
| Cadmium | 0.000031 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | <1% |
| Boron | 0.0164 mg/L | 1 mg/L | 2% |
| Hardness (as CaCO3) | 177 mg/L | No legal limit | – |
154mg of limescale minerals in every litre
Middling hardness. Some scale, slowly
Below the point where a softener pays for itself. Descaling the kettle now and then is all most homes need.
Your river is the Oulton Beck from Source to River Aire, rated moderate
The Environment Agency rated the Oulton Beck from Source to River Aire 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. 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
65
forever-chemical detections in nearby rivers and groundwater
At 5 sites. The highest was PFOA at 0.016 µg/L, at Meanwood Beck at Buslingthorpe Lane, 9.5 km away, in May 2024. These are river and borehole samples, not tests of your tap water.
Every PFAS sample around Leeds · Which filters remove PFAS · PFAS explained
LS26 in short
Tap water in LS26 (Leeds) is supplied by Yorkshire Water in the Leeds Central zone and scores 9.6 out of 10, against an England and Wales average of 9.0. None of the 25 tested substances came close to a limit. The latest sample is from 16 September 2026.
- 4th cleanest of 28 areas tested in LeedsOnly 3 areas in Leeds scored higher. The best is LS21 on 9.7. Every area in Leeds
- 0.6 points above the national average of 9Cleaner than the typical tested district in the UK. Compare every area
- PFAS found at 5 monitoring sites within 10 kmThose are river and groundwater samples, not tap water. The highest was PFOA about 9.5 km away. What was measured
Questions about LS26 water
Is LS26 tap water safe to drink?
Based on the latest tests, LS26 (Leeds) water scores 9.6/10, which is safe. 0 of 25 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Yorkshire Water.
What contaminants are in LS26 water?
We tested 25 contaminants in LS26 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels. 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 LS26?
LS26 (Leeds) is supplied by Yorkshire Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.
Is LS26 water hard or soft?
Water in LS26 (Leeds) has a hardness of 154 mg/L CaCO3, which is classified as moderately hard. This is a moderate hardness level.
Should I use a water filter in LS26?
LS26 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 LS26 water?
The tap-water tests we hold for LS26 do not include a PFAS result. Environment Agency monitoring found PFAS in 65 river and groundwater samples from 5 sites within 10 km of LS26, the highest being PFOA at 0.016 µg/L about 9.5 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 LS26?
The Environment Agency rated the Oulton Beck from Source to River Aire 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. 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 LS26, 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
- 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
PFAS explainedHow to test your waterBest water filtersFilter shower headsWater testing kitsAll of LeedsUK water rankingsWater hardness checkerWater hardness map
River and groundwater readings near LS26
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Iron | 2.4 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L |
| Lead | 0.0032 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L |
| pH | 7.91 pH | None |
| Temperature | 6.4 °C | None |
| Conductivity | 631 µS/cm | None |
| Ammonia | 0.042 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L |
| Nitrate | 10 mg/L | 50 mg/L |
| Nitrite | 0.0085 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L |
| Chromium | 0.0031 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L |
| Nickel | 0.0041 mg/L | 0.02 mg/L |
| Arsenic | 0.0012 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L |
| Copper | 0.0042 mg/L | 2 mg/L |
| Zinc | 0.014 mg/L | None |
| Dissolved Oxygen | 11.4 mg/L | None |
| Phosphate | 0.109 mg/L | None |
| Hardness (as CaCO3) | 457 mg/L | None |
| Fluoride | 0.347 mg/L | 1.5 mg/L |
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