Tap water in PE36, King's Lynn and West NorfolkSafe to drink.Very hard.
Supplied by Anglian Water. 592 samples, 18 substances, latest on 11 December 2024. Everything is inside the legal limit. One result, nitrate, sits close to the line.
9.2 / 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 331 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 PE36.
Osmio PRO-III Ultimate Whole House
£499typical price
Removes nitrate, the result that stood out in PE36.
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 PE36 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 79% of it. 15 of 16 substances used under a quarter of theirs.
- Nitrate79%
- Trihalomethanes13%
- Iron11%
- Nickel8%
- Arsenic7%
- Aluminium6%
- Manganese6%
- Fluoride6%
- Nitrite6%
- Turbidity5%
- Selenium2%
- Lead2%
- Antimony2%
- Chromium2%
- Copper2%
- Cadmium<1%
- Coliform Bacteria none found
- E. coli none found
All 18 results as a table
| Substance | Result | Legal limit | Share of limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrate | 39.4 mg/L | 50 mg/L | 79% |
| 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% |
| Trihalomethanes | 0.0133 mg/L | 0.1 mg/L | 13% |
| Fluoride | 0.09 mg/L | 1.5 mg/L | 6% |
| Arsenic | 0.00069 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 7% |
| Cadmium | 0.00002 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | <1% |
| Chromium | 0.00076 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | 2% |
| Nickel | 0.00151 mg/L | 0.02 mg/L | 8% |
| 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% |
| Nitrite | 0.03 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L | 6% |
| Copper | 0.03 mg/L | 2 mg/L | 2% |
331mg 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 PE36
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Your river is the Heacham River, rated poor
The Environment Agency rated the Heacham River as poor for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is badly affected, with much of the expected wildlife missing. It is held back by fish. 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
PE36 in short
Tap water in PE36 (King's Lynn and West Norfolk) is supplied by Anglian Water in the King's Lynn and West Norfolk Central zone and scores 9.2 out of 10, against an England and Wales average of 9.0. 1 of 18 tested substances was close to or over a limit. The latest sample is from 11 December 2024.
- Nitrate is within its legal limit but flagged, at 79% 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
- The lowest score of the 10 areas tested in King's Lynn and West NorfolkPE36 scores 9.2 out of 10. The best in King's Lynn and West Norfolk, PE35, scores 9.4.
- Among the hardest water in the country at 331 mg/LVery hard starts at 250 mg/L. At this level kettles scale up within weeks and a softener is a normal purchase in PE36. How hardness is measured
Questions about PE36 water
Is PE36 tap water safe to drink?
Based on the latest tests, PE36 (King's Lynn and West Norfolk) water scores 9.2/10, which is safe. 1 of 18 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Anglian Water.
What contaminants are in PE36 water?
We tested 18 contaminants in PE36 water. 1 were flagged, including Nitrate.
Who supplies water in PE36?
PE36 (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 PE36 water hard or soft?
Water in PE36 (King's Lynn and West Norfolk) has a hardness of 331 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 PE36?
With 1 contaminant above recommended levels in PE36, 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 PE36 water?
No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for PE36, 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 PE36?
The Environment Agency rated the Heacham River as poor for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is badly affected, with much of the expected wildlife missing. It is held back by fish. 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 PE36, 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 PE36
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 PE36.