Tap water in PR1, PrestonSafe to drink.Moderately soft.
Supplied by United Utilities. 2,501 samples, 16 substances, latest on 18 December 2024. 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 PR1 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.
Trihalomethanes came closest to a limit, at 25% of it. 15 of 16 substances used under a quarter of theirs.
- Trihalomethanes25%
- Iron16%
- Aluminium14%
- Manganese13%
- Ammonia11%
- Antimony6%
- Turbidity6%
- Lead6%
- Nitrate5%
- Nickel4%
- Bromate3%
- Selenium2%
- Nitrite2%
- Cadmium2%
- Chromium2%
- Copper<1%
All 16 results as a table
| Substance | Result | Legal limit | Share of limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turbidity | 0.24 NTU | 4 NTU | 6% |
| Aluminium | 0.0271 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 14% |
| Iron | 0.031 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 16% |
| Manganese | 0.00626 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | 13% |
| Nitrate | 2.44 mg/L | 50 mg/L | 5% |
| Nitrite | 0.0098 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L | 2% |
| Ammonia | 0.054 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L | 11% |
| Bromate | 0.00034 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 3% |
| Trihalomethanes | 0.0251 mg/L | 0.1 mg/L | 25% |
| Copper | 0.0000104 mg/L | 2 mg/L | <1% |
| Nickel | 0.00077 mg/L | 0.02 mg/L | 4% |
| Lead | 0.00055 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 6% |
| Cadmium | 0.00009 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | 2% |
| Chromium | 0.00083 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | 2% |
| Antimony | 0.00031 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | 6% |
| Selenium | 0.00085 mg/L | 0.04 mg/L | 2% |
85mg 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 estuary is the Ribble, rated bad
The Environment Agency rated the Ribble as bad for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the estuary is severely damaged, with most of the expected wildlife missing. It is held back by algal blooms, fish and nitrogen. 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
186
forever-chemical detections in nearby rivers and groundwater
At 9 sites. The highest was PFOA at 0.088 µg/L, at River Darwen at Blue Bridge / Samples Prior to Sept 1977 Taken at Sd 550282 - D/S of Hennel Brook/Spt Moved Again From SD55165 28000 Wef 7.12.07, 3.0 km away, in May 2024. These are river and borehole samples, not tests of your tap water.
Every PFAS sample around Preston · Which filters remove PFAS · PFAS explained
PR1 in short
Tap water in PR1 (Preston) is supplied by United Utilities in the Preston Central zone and scores 9.4 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 18 December 2024.
- The cleanest tap water of the 4 areas tested in PrestonPR1 scores 9.4 out of 10, ahead of PR2 in second place on 9.4. Every area in Preston
- PFAS found at 9 monitoring sites within 10 kmThose are river and groundwater samples, not tap water. The highest was PFOA about 3 km away. What was measured
- Nothing tested came within 40% of its legal limitThe highest was Trihalomethanes at 25% of the 0.1 mg/L maximum. See every reading
Questions about PR1 water
Is PR1 tap water safe to drink?
Based on the latest tests, PR1 (Preston) water scores 9.4/10, which is safe. 0 of 16 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by United Utilities.
What contaminants are in PR1 water?
We tested 16 contaminants in PR1 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 PR1?
PR1 (Preston) is supplied by United Utilities. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.
Is PR1 water hard or soft?
Water in PR1 (Preston) has a hardness of 85 mg/L CaCO3, which is classified as moderately soft. This is a moderate hardness level.
Should I use a water filter in PR1?
PR1 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 PR1 water?
The tap-water tests we hold for PR1 do not include a PFAS result. Environment Agency monitoring found PFAS in 186 river and groundwater samples from 9 sites within 10 km of PR1, the highest being PFOA at 0.088 µg/L about 3 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 PR1?
The Environment Agency rated the Ribble as bad for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the estuary is severely damaged, with most of the expected wildlife missing. It is held back by algal blooms, fish and nitrogen. 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 PR1, 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 PrestonUK water rankingsWater hardness checkerWater hardness map
River and groundwater readings near PR1
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Turbidity | 3.5 NTU | 4 NTU |
| Lead | 0.0013 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L |
| pH | 8.2 pH | None |
| Temperature | 20.1 °C | None |
| Conductivity | 619 µS/cm | None |
| Cadmium | 0.000012 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L |
| Ammonia | 0.041 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L |
| Nitrate | 3.2 mg/L | 50 mg/L |
| Nitrite | 0.011 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L |
| Phosphate | 0.099 mg/L | None |
| Zinc | 0.01 mg/L | None |
| Nickel | 0.0017 mg/L | 0.02 mg/L |
| Copper | 0.0024 mg/L | 2 mg/L |
| Manganese | 0.027 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L |
| Iron | 0.045 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L |
Get alerts for your area
We'll email you when water quality data changes for PR1.