Tap water in PL28, CornwallSafe to drink.Soft.
Supplied by South West Water. 223 samples, 15 substances, latest on 27 October 2025. 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
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What's in a glass of PL28 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.
Nickel came closest to a limit, at 17% of it. 14 of 14 substances used under a quarter of theirs.
- Nickel17%
- Aluminium13%
- Colour10%
- Nitrate10%
- Arsenic6%
- Iron4%
- Turbidity3%
- Selenium3%
- Lead2%
- Antimony2%
- Manganese2%
- Chromium2%
- Cadmium1%
- Copper<1%
- pH 7.6 pH
All 15 results as a table
| Substance | Result | Legal limit | Share of limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copper | 0.00713 mg/L | 2 mg/L | <1% |
| Lead | 0.000248 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 2% |
| Nickel | 0.0033 mg/L | 0.02 mg/L | 17% |
| Aluminium | 0.0257 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 13% |
| 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% |
| Colour | 2 mg/L Pt/Co | 20 mg/L Pt/Co | 10% |
| Iron | 0.0076 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 4% |
| Manganese | 0.000941 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | 2% |
| Nitrate | 5 mg/L | 50 mg/L | 10% |
| pH | 7.6 pH | No legal limit | – |
| Selenium | 0.0012 mg/L | 0.04 mg/L | 3% |
| Turbidity | 0.13 NTU | 4 NTU | 3% |
34mg 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 Harlyn Water, rated good
The Environment Agency rated the Harlyn Water as good for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is only slightly changed from its natural state. 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
PL28 in short
Tap water in PL28 (Cornwall) is supplied by South West Water in the Cornwall Central zone and scores 9.5 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 27 October 2025.
- 11th cleanest of 45 areas tested in CornwallOnly 10 areas in Cornwall scored higher. The best is EX23 on 9.5.
- Soft water at 34 mg/LLimescale is not a problem in PL28, so skip softeners and scale filters entirely. How hardness is measured
- Nothing tested came within 40% of its legal limitThe highest was Nickel at 17% of the 0.02 mg/L maximum. See every reading
Questions about PL28 water
Is PL28 tap water safe to drink?
Based on the latest tests, PL28 (Cornwall) water scores 9.5/10, which is safe. 0 of 15 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by South West Water.
What contaminants are in PL28 water?
We tested 15 contaminants in PL28 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels.
Who supplies water in PL28?
PL28 (Cornwall) is supplied by South West Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.
Is PL28 water hard or soft?
Water in PL28 (Cornwall) has a hardness of 34 mg/L CaCO3, which is classified as soft. Soft water is gentle on appliances and skin.
Should I use a water filter in PL28?
PL28 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 PL28 water?
No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for PL28, 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 PL28?
The Environment Agency rated the Harlyn Water as good for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is only slightly changed from its natural state. 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 PL28, which is treated before it reaches homes.
Keep reading
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River and groundwater readings near PL28
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 PL28.