Tap water in PL26, CornwallSafe to drink.Soft.
Supplied by South West Water. 1,208 samples, 15 substances, latest on 18 December 2025. Everything is inside the legal limit, and nothing comes close to it.
9.4 / 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 PL26 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 17% of it. 14 of 14 substances used under a quarter of theirs.
- Nitrate17%
- Nickel17%
- Aluminium13%
- Colour10%
- Arsenic6%
- Iron6%
- Manganese4%
- Turbidity3%
- Selenium3%
- Antimony2%
- Chromium2%
- Lead1%
- Cadmium1%
- Copper<1%
- pH 7.6 pH
All 15 results as a table
| Substance | Result | Legal limit | Share of limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aluminium | 0.0257 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 13% |
| Colour | 2 mg/L Pt/Co | 20 mg/L Pt/Co | 10% |
| Iron | 0.0114 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 6% |
| Manganese | 0.00176 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | 4% |
| pH | 7.6 pH | No legal limit | – |
| Turbidity | 0.13 NTU | 4 NTU | 3% |
| Copper | 0.00436 mg/L | 2 mg/L | <1% |
| Lead | 0.00014 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 1% |
| Nickel | 0.0033 mg/L | 0.02 mg/L | 17% |
| Antimony | 0.0001 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | 2% |
| Arsenic | 0.00062 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 6% |
| Cadmium | 0.00006 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | 1% |
| Chromium | 0.0008 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | 2% |
| Nitrate | 8.44 mg/L | 50 mg/L | 17% |
| Selenium | 0.0012 mg/L | 0.04 mg/L | 3% |
33mg of limescale minerals in every litre
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.
Your river is the St Austell River, rated moderate
The Environment Agency rated the St Austell River as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by ammonia and phosphate. 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
PL26 in short
Tap water in PL26 (Cornwall) is supplied by South West Water in the Cornwall Central zone and scores 9.4 out of 10, against an England and Wales average of 9.0. None of the 15 tested substances came close to a limit. The latest sample is from 18 December 2025.
- Every one of the 10 neighbouring districts scores higherEX23 next door scores 9.5, against 9.4 here. Supply zones, not distance, explain the gap. See EX23
- 38th cleanest of 45 areas tested in Cornwall7 areas in Cornwall scored lower. The best is EX23 on 9.5.
- Soft water at 33 mg/LLimescale is not a problem in PL26, so skip softeners and scale filters entirely. How hardness is measured
Questions about PL26 water
Is PL26 tap water safe to drink?
Based on the latest tests, PL26 (Cornwall) water scores 9.4/10, which is safe. 0 of 15 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by South West Water.
What contaminants are in PL26 water?
We tested 15 contaminants in PL26 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels.
Who supplies water in PL26?
PL26 (Cornwall) is supplied by South West Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.
Is PL26 water hard or soft?
Water in PL26 (Cornwall) has a hardness of 33 mg/L CaCO3, which is classified as soft. Soft water is gentle on appliances and skin.
Should I use a water filter in PL26?
PL26 water scored 9.4/10 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 PL26 water?
No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for PL26, 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 PL26?
The Environment Agency rated the St Austell River as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by ammonia and phosphate. 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 PL26, which is treated before it reaches homes.
Keep reading
- 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
- How to Test Your Tap WaterFrom DIY strips to professional lab analysis
- Best Water Filter Jug UKBRITA vs ZeroWater vs the rest, tested against real data
How to test your waterBest water filtersFilter shower headsWater testing kitsUK water rankingsWater hardness checkerWater hardness map
River and groundwater readings near PL26
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 |
|---|---|---|
| pH | 7.8 pH | None |
| Temperature | 20.2 °C | None |
| Conductivity | 423 µS/cm | None |
| Ammonia | 0.061 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L |
| Nitrate | 6.6 mg/L | 50 mg/L |
| Nitrite | 0.0057 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L |
| Phosphate | 0.21 mg/L | None |
| Dissolved Oxygen | 9.03 mg/L | None |
| Iron | 0.056 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L |
| Lead | 0.00014 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L |
| Cadmium | 0.00002 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L |
| Zinc | 0.008 mg/L | None |
| Nickel | 0.0019 mg/L | 0.02 mg/L |
| Aluminium | 0.035 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L |
| Copper | 0.0061 mg/L | 2 mg/L |
| Chromium | 0.00083 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L |
| Hardness (as CaCO3) | 49.2 mg/L | None |
Get alerts for your area
We'll email you when water quality data changes for PL26.