Tap water in PE14, King's Lynn and West NorfolkSafe to drink.Very hard.
Supplied by Anglian Water. 1,048 samples, 20 substances, latest on 19 December 2024. Everything is inside the legal limit. One result, nitrate, sits close to the line.
9.3 / 10
The tank is as full as the score. The specks are the minerals that make water hard.
What to do about it
Hard water: compare softener quotes
At 295 mg/L a softener is the only thing that stops limescale. Filters do not soften water.
It pays for itself in most homes at this hardness, through a boiler that stays efficient and appliances that last.
Waterdrop G3P600 Reverse Osmosis
£550typical price
Removes nitrate, the result that stood out in PE14.
Osmio PRO-III Ultimate Whole House
£499typical price
Removes nitrate, the result that stood out in PE14.
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What's in a glass of PE14 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.
Nitrate came closest to a limit, at 75% of it. 16 of 17 substances used under a quarter of theirs.
- Nitrate75%
- Nickel11%
- Iron11%
- Trihalomethanes9%
- Bromate7%
- Aluminium6%
- Manganese6%
- Nitrite6%
- Fluoride5%
- Turbidity5%
- Arsenic2%
- Selenium2%
- Lead2%
- Antimony2%
- Chromium2%
- Copper2%
- Cadmium<1%
- Coliform Bacteria none found
- E. coli none found
- Conductivity 548 µS/cm
All 20 results as a table
| Substance | Result | Legal limit | Share of limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrate | 37.6 mg/L | 50 mg/L | 75% |
| Coliform Bacteria | 0 count/100ml | Must be zero | None found |
| E. coli | 0 count/100ml | Must be zero | None found |
| Turbidity | 0.21 NTU | 4 NTU | 5% |
| Aluminium | 0.012 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 6% |
| Iron | 0.021 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 11% |
| Manganese | 0.003 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | 6% |
| Nitrite | 0.03 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L | 6% |
| Copper | 0.03 mg/L | 2 mg/L | 2% |
| Fluoride | 0.08 mg/L | 1.5 mg/L | 5% |
| Arsenic | 0.00018 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 2% |
| Cadmium | 0.00002 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | <1% |
| Chromium | 0.00076 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | 2% |
| Nickel | 0.00211 mg/L | 0.02 mg/L | 11% |
| Lead | 0.00016 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 2% |
| Antimony | 0.00008 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | 2% |
| Selenium | 0.00072 mg/L | 0.04 mg/L | 2% |
| Trihalomethanes | 0.0093 mg/L | 0.1 mg/L | 9% |
| Conductivity | 548 µS/cm | No legal limit | – |
| Bromate | 0.0007 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 7% |
295mg 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 PE14
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Your river is the Middle Level, rated moderate
The Environment Agency rated the Middle Level as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. 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
PE14 in short
Tap water in PE14 (King's Lynn and West Norfolk) is supplied by Anglian Water in the King's Lynn and West Norfolk Central zone and scores 9.3 out of 10, against an England and Wales average of 9.0. 1 of 20 tested substances was close to or over a limit. The latest sample is from 19 December 2024.
- Nitrate is within its legal limit but flagged, at 75% of the 50 mg/L maximumAnything over three quarters of a limit is flagged here as worth watching. It has not gone over. See every reading
- Very hard water at 295 mg/LThe threshold for very hard is 250 mg/L. Expect visible limescale on taps and in kettles in PE14. How hardness is measured
- 3rd cleanest of 10 areas tested in King's Lynn and West NorfolkOnly 2 areas in King's Lynn and West Norfolk scored higher. The best is PE35 on 9.4.
Questions about PE14 water
Is PE14 tap water safe to drink?
Based on the latest tests, PE14 (King's Lynn and West Norfolk) water scores 9.3/10, which is safe. 1 of 20 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Anglian Water.
What contaminants are in PE14 water?
We tested 20 contaminants in PE14 water. 1 were flagged, including Nitrate.
Who supplies water in PE14?
PE14 (King's Lynn and West Norfolk) is supplied by Anglian Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.
Is PE14 water hard or soft?
Water in PE14 (King's Lynn and West Norfolk) has a hardness of 295 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 PE14?
With 1 contaminant above recommended levels in PE14, a water filter could help. A filter jug or under-sink filter can reduce most common contaminants. See our filter recommendations for your area.
Are there PFAS forever chemicals in PE14 water?
No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for PE14, 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 PE14?
The Environment Agency rated the Middle Level as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. 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 PE14, which is treated before it reaches homes.
Keep reading
- 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
Nitrate levelsHow to test your waterBest water filtersFilter shower headsWater testing kitsUK water rankingsWater hardness checkerWater hardness map
River and groundwater readings near PE14
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Ammonia | 0.98 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L |
| Nickel | 0.016 mg/L | 0.02 mg/L |
| Turbidity | 8.3 NTU | 4 NTU |
| pH | 8.16 pH | None |
| Temperature | 18 °C | None |
| Conductivity | 414 µS/cm | None |
| Nitrate | 0.22 mg/L | 50 mg/L |
| Nitrite | 0.024 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L |
| Phosphate | 0.2 mg/L | None |
| Dissolved Oxygen | 2.72 mg/L | None |
| Lead | 0 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L |
| Zinc | 0.014 mg/L | None |
| Copper | 0.0028 mg/L | 2 mg/L |
Get alerts for your area
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