Tap water in LS5, LeedsSafe to drink.Slightly hard.
Supplied by Yorkshire Water. 444 samples, 24 substances, latest on 11 September 2026. Everything is inside the legal limit, and nothing comes close to it.
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
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
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 LS5 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 38% of it. 19 of 20 substances used under a quarter of theirs.
- Trihalomethanes38%
- Bromate17%
- Colour15%
- Nitrate12%
- Fluoride7%
- Aluminium6%
- Nickel5%
- Mercury4%
- Iron3%
- Antimony3%
- Turbidity3%
- Boron2%
- Manganese2%
- Nitrite2%
- Arsenic1%
- Selenium1%
- Lead<1%
- Cadmium<1%
- Chromium<1%
- Copper<1%
- E. coli none found
- Coliform Bacteria none found
- Conductivity 354 µS/cm
- Phosphate 1.12 mg/L
All 24 results as a table
| Substance | Result | Legal limit | Share of limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| E. coli | 0 count/100ml | Must be zero | None found |
| Coliform Bacteria | 0 count/100ml | Must be zero | None found |
| Iron | 0.00629 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 3% |
| Manganese | 0.00101 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | 2% |
| Aluminium | 0.0111 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 6% |
| Conductivity | 354 µS/cm | No legal limit | – |
| Colour | 3 mg/L Pt/Co | 20 mg/L Pt/Co | 15% |
| Turbidity | 0.11 NTU | 4 NTU | 3% |
| Phosphate | 1.12 mg/L | No legal limit | – |
| Mercury | 0.00004 mg/L | 0.001 mg/L | 4% |
| Nitrite | 0.008 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L | 2% |
| Fluoride | 0.1 mg/L | 1.5 mg/L | 7% |
| Nitrate | 6.12 mg/L | 50 mg/L | 12% |
| Copper | 0.00148 mg/L | 2 mg/L | <1% |
| Lead | 0.00009 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | <1% |
| Nickel | 0.00091 mg/L | 0.02 mg/L | 5% |
| Chromium | 0.00019 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | <1% |
| Cadmium | 0.000031 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | <1% |
| Boron | 0.0212 mg/L | 1 mg/L | 2% |
| Bromate | 0.0017 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 17% |
| Trihalomethanes | 0.0377 mg/L | 0.1 mg/L | 38% |
| Selenium | 0.00043 mg/L | 0.04 mg/L | 1% |
| Arsenic | 0.00014 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 1% |
| Antimony | 0.000151 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | 3% |
137mg of limescale minerals in every litre, typical for the LS area. LS5 has no reading of its own.
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 Aire from Gill Beck (Baildon) to Wyke Beck, rated moderate
The Environment Agency rated the Aire from Gill Beck (Baildon) to Wyke Beck as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by phosphate, insects and other small river life and specific pollutants. 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
38
forever-chemical detections in nearby rivers and groundwater
At 4 sites. The highest was PFOA at 0.043 µg/L, at Adel Beck at Adel Mill Bridge, 4.9 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
LS5 in short
Tap water in LS5 (Leeds) is supplied by Yorkshire Water in the Leeds Central zone and scores 9.5 out of 10, against an England and Wales average of 9.0. None of the 24 tested substances came close to a limit. The latest sample is from 11 September 2026.
- 16th cleanest of 28 areas tested in LeedsSquarely mid-table for Leeds, between LS21 on 9.7 and LS25 on 9.1. Every area in Leeds
- PFAS found at 4 monitoring sites within 10 kmThose are river and groundwater samples, not tap water. The highest was PFOA about 4.9 km away. What was measured
- Nothing tested came within 40% of its legal limitThe highest was Trihalomethanes at 38% of the 0.1 mg/L maximum. See every reading
Questions about LS5 water
Is LS5 tap water safe to drink?
Based on the latest tests, LS5 (Leeds) water scores 9.5/10, which is safe. 0 of 24 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Yorkshire Water.
What contaminants are in LS5 water?
We tested 24 contaminants in LS5 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 LS5?
LS5 (Leeds) is supplied by Yorkshire Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.
Is LS5 water hard or soft?
No hardness reading has been published for LS5 itself. Across the LS postcode area the typical value is 137 mg/L CaCO3, which is classified as moderately hard. This is a moderate hardness level.
Should I use a water filter in LS5?
LS5 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 LS5 water?
The tap-water tests we hold for LS5 do not include a PFAS result. Environment Agency monitoring found PFAS in 38 river and groundwater samples from 4 sites within 10 km of LS5, the highest being PFOA at 0.043 µg/L about 4.9 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 LS5?
The Environment Agency rated the Aire from Gill Beck (Baildon) to Wyke Beck as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by phosphate, insects and other small river life and specific pollutants. 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 LS5, 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 LS5
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Turbidity | 41.9 NTU | 4 NTU |
| pH | 8.49 pH | None |
| Temperature | 8.4 °C | None |
| Conductivity | 493 µS/cm | None |
| Nitrate | 2.8 mg/L | 50 mg/L |
| Nitrite | 0.0045 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L |
| Phosphate | 0.031 mg/L | None |
| Dissolved Oxygen | 12.8 mg/L | None |
| Ammonia | 0.12 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L |
| Hardness (as CaCO3) | 167 mg/L | None |
| Copper | 0.00253 mg/L | 2 mg/L |
| Zinc | 0.0251 mg/L | None |
Get alerts for your area
We'll email you when water quality data changes for LS5.