Tap water in PL31, CornwallSafe to drink.Soft.
Supplied by South West Water. 901 samples, 16 substances, latest on 19 December 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 PL31 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. 15 of 15 substances used under a quarter of theirs.
- Nickel17%
- Nitrate15%
- Aluminium13%
- Colour10%
- Arsenic6%
- Iron4%
- Turbidity3%
- Selenium3%
- Antimony2%
- Chromium2%
- Bromate1%
- Manganese1%
- Cadmium1%
- Lead1%
- Copper<1%
- pH 7.8 pH
All 16 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 | 0.0076 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 4% |
| Manganese | 0.000619 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | 1% |
| pH | 7.8 pH | No legal limit | – |
| Turbidity | 0.13 NTU | 4 NTU | 3% |
| Bromate | 0.000132 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 1% |
| 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 | 7.71 mg/L | 50 mg/L | 15% |
| Selenium | 0.0012 mg/L | 0.04 mg/L | 3% |
| Copper | 0.0025 mg/L | 2 mg/L | <1% |
| Lead | 0.000117 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 1% |
| Nickel | 0.0033 mg/L | 0.02 mg/L | 17% |
28mg of limescale minerals in every litre, typical for the PL area. PL31 has no reading of its own.
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 Lower River Camel, rated moderate
The Environment Agency rated the Lower River Camel as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by water plants and algae. 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. Its ecological rating has dropped since the previous assessment.
None of this is a test of your tap water. Environment Agency record · River health across England
PL31 in short
Tap water in PL31 (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 16 tested substances came close to a limit. The latest sample is from 19 December 2025.
- 14th cleanest of 45 areas tested in CornwallOnly 13 areas in Cornwall scored higher. The best is EX23 on 9.5.
- Soft water at 28 mg/LLimescale is not a problem across the PL postcode area, 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 PL31 water
Is PL31 tap water safe to drink?
Based on the latest tests, PL31 (Cornwall) water scores 9.5/10, which is safe. 0 of 16 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by South West Water.
What contaminants are in PL31 water?
We tested 16 contaminants in PL31 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels.
Who supplies water in PL31?
PL31 (Cornwall) is supplied by South West Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.
Is PL31 water hard or soft?
No hardness reading has been published for PL31 itself. Across the PL postcode area the typical value is 28 mg/L CaCO3, which is classified as soft. Soft water is gentle on appliances and skin.
Should I use a water filter in PL31?
PL31 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 PL31 water?
No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for PL31, 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 PL31?
The Environment Agency rated the Lower River Camel as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by water plants and algae. 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. Its ecological rating has dropped since the previous assessment. This is a rating of the river, not of tap water in PL31, 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 PL31
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 | 7.24 pH | None |
| Temperature | 16.9 °C | None |
| Nitrate | 1.6 mg/L | 50 mg/L |
| Phosphate | 0.023 mg/L | None |
| Dissolved Oxygen | 9.47 mg/L | None |
| Lead | 0.00013 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L |
| Conductivity | 90 µS/cm | None |
| Cadmium | 0.000014 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L |
| Zinc | 0.0035 mg/L | None |
| Nickel | 0.00053 mg/L | 0.02 mg/L |
| Arsenic | 0.005 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L |
| Turbidity | 1.7 NTU | 4 NTU |
| Copper | 0.0017 mg/L | 2 mg/L |
| Iron | 0.14 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L |
| Hardness (as CaCO3) | 30.6 mg/L | None |
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We'll email you when water quality data changes for PL31.