Tap water in PL5, PlymouthSafe to drink.Soft.
Supplied by South West Water. 1,240 samples, 16 substances, latest on 17 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 PL5 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%
- Aluminium13%
- Nitrate10%
- Colour10%
- Arsenic6%
- Iron4%
- Antimony3%
- Turbidity3%
- Selenium3%
- Manganese3%
- Chromium2%
- Bromate1%
- Cadmium1%
- Lead1%
- Copper<1%
- pH 7.5 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 | 0.00126 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | 3% |
| pH | 7.5 pH | No legal limit | – |
| Turbidity | 0.13 NTU | 4 NTU | 3% |
| Copper | 0.0126 mg/L | 2 mg/L | <1% |
| Lead | 0.0001 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 1% |
| Nickel | 0.0033 mg/L | 0.02 mg/L | 17% |
| Bromate | 0.000132 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 1% |
| Antimony | 0.00017 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | 3% |
| 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 | 5.1 mg/L | 50 mg/L | 10% |
| Selenium | 0.0012 mg/L | 0.04 mg/L | 3% |
28mg of limescale minerals in every litre, typical for the PL area. PL5 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 estuary is the Plymouth Tamar, rated moderate
The Environment Agency rated the Plymouth Tamar as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the estuary is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by nitrogen and seaweed. 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
106
forever-chemical detections in nearby rivers and groundwater
At 5 sites. The highest was 6:2 FTSA at 0.063 µg/L, at Plymouth Garden Centre Crownhill Plymouth Pipe Entering Storage Tank, 3.6 km away, in March 2025. These are river and borehole samples, not tests of your tap water.
Every PFAS sample around Plymouth · Which filters remove PFAS · PFAS explained
PL5 in short
Tap water in PL5 (Plymouth) is supplied by South West Water in the Plymouth 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 17 December 2025.
- 5th cleanest of 8 areas tested in PlymouthSquarely mid-table for Plymouth, between PL1 on 9.5 and PL9 on 9.5. Every area in Plymouth
- 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
- PFAS found at 5 monitoring sites within 10 kmThose are river and groundwater samples, not tap water. The highest was 6:2 FTSA about 3.6 km away. What was measured
Questions about PL5 water
Is PL5 tap water safe to drink?
Based on the latest tests, PL5 (Plymouth) 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 PL5 water?
We tested 16 contaminants in PL5 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels. PFAS (forever chemicals) were also measured in rivers and groundwater within 10 km, though not in the tap-water tests themselves.
Who supplies water in PL5?
PL5 (Plymouth) is supplied by South West Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.
Is PL5 water hard or soft?
No hardness reading has been published for PL5 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 PL5?
PL5 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 PL5 water?
The tap-water tests we hold for PL5 do not include a PFAS result. Environment Agency monitoring found PFAS in 106 river and groundwater samples from 5 sites within 10 km of PL5, the highest being 6:2 FTSA at 0.063 µg/L about 3.6 km away. These are environmental samples, not tests of tap water. The UK currently has no legal limit for PFAS in drinking water; the Drinking Water Inspectorate uses a 0.1 µg/L guideline for individual compounds. Reverse osmosis filters can reduce PFAS levels.
How clean is the estuary near PL5?
The Environment Agency rated the Plymouth Tamar as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the estuary is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by nitrogen and seaweed. 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 estuary, not of tap water in PL5, which is treated before it reaches homes.
Keep reading
- Best Filter for PFAS RemovalThe filters with independent certification to remove forever chemicals
- PFAS Forever ChemicalsWhat PFAS are and how to reduce your exposure at home
- 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
PFAS explainedHow to test your waterBest water filtersFilter shower headsWater testing kitsAll of PlymouthUK water rankingsWater hardness checkerWater hardness map
River and groundwater readings near PL5
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 | 7.82 pH | None |
| Temperature | 10.8 °C | None |
| Conductivity | 260 µS/cm | None |
| Nitrate | 2.6 mg/L | 50 mg/L |
| Nitrite | 0.0048 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L |
| Phosphate | 0.047 mg/L | None |
| Turbidity | 1.8 NTU | 4 NTU |
| Dissolved Oxygen | 10.8 mg/L | None |
| Ammonia | 0.033 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L |
| Zinc | 0.0066 mg/L | None |
| Copper | 0.0018 mg/L | 2 mg/L |
| Arsenic | 0.0023 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L |
| PFAS (total) | 0.0041 µg/L | None |
Get alerts for your area
We'll email you when water quality data changes for PL5.