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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in PR5, South RibbleNickel is over the limit.Slightly hard.

Supplied by United Utilities. 2,774 samples, 16 substances, latest on 20 December 2024. Nickel came in above the legal limit. Everything else passed.

See the filter we recommendSee everything that was tested

8.8 / 10

The tank is as full as the score. The specks are the minerals that make water hard.

What to do about it

Waterdrop G3P600 Reverse Osmosis

Waterdrop G3P600 Reverse Osmosis

£550typical price

Removes nickel, the result that stood out in PR5.

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BRITA Marella XL + MAXTRA PRO

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Basic chlorine and taste improvement on a budget

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ZeroWater 12-Cup Ready-Pour

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£40typical price

Households concerned about PFAS and heavy metals

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What's in a glass of PR5 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 is over its legal limit, at 182% of it.

0%25%50%75%limitLegal limitCopper: 0.000202 mg/L, <1% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper<1%Manganese: 0.00037 mg/L, <1% of the 0.05 mg/L limitManganese<1%Nitrite: 0.0075 mg/L, 2% of the 0.5 mg/L limitNitrite2%Aluminium: 0.00329 mg/L, 2% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium2%Chromium: 0.00083 mg/L, 2% of the 0.05 mg/L limitChromium2%Iron: 0.0036 mg/L, 2% of the 0.2 mg/L limitIron2%Cadmium: 0.00009 mg/L, 2% of the 0.005 mg/L limitCadmium2%Selenium: 0.00085 mg/L, 2% of the 0.04 mg/L limitSelenium2%Bromate: 0.00033 mg/L, 3% of the 0.01 mg/L limitBromate3%Turbidity: 0.16 NTU, 4% of the 4 NTU limitTurbidity4%Nitrate: 2.61 mg/L, 5% of the 50 mg/L limitNitrate5%Lead: 0.00055 mg/L, 6% of the 0.01 mg/L limitLead6%Antimony: 0.00031 mg/L, 6% of the 0.005 mg/L limitAntimony6%Ammonia: 0.0321 mg/L, 6% of the 0.5 mg/L limitAmmonia6%Trihalomethanes: 0.0272 mg/L, 27% of the 0.1 mg/L limitTrihalomethanes27%Nickel: 0.0363 mg/L, 182% of the 0.02 mg/L limitNickel182%
  1. Nickel182%
  2. Trihalomethanes27%
  3. Ammonia6%
  4. Antimony6%
  5. Lead6%
  6. Nitrate5%
  7. Turbidity4%
  8. Bromate3%
  9. Selenium2%
  10. Iron2%
  11. Cadmium2%
  12. Chromium2%
  13. Aluminium2%
  14. Nitrite2%
  15. Manganese<1%
  16. Copper<1%
All 16 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Nickel0.0363 mg/L0.02 mg/L
182%
Turbidity0.16 NTU4 NTU
4%
Copper0.000202 mg/L2 mg/L
<1%
Lead0.00055 mg/L0.01 mg/L
6%
Aluminium0.00329 mg/L0.2 mg/L
2%
Iron0.0036 mg/L0.2 mg/L
2%
Manganese0.00037 mg/L0.05 mg/L
<1%
Nitrate2.61 mg/L50 mg/L
5%
Nitrite0.0075 mg/L0.5 mg/L
2%
Ammonia0.0321 mg/L0.5 mg/L
6%
Cadmium0.00009 mg/L0.005 mg/L
2%
Chromium0.00083 mg/L0.05 mg/L
2%
Antimony0.00031 mg/L0.005 mg/L
6%
Selenium0.00085 mg/L0.04 mg/L
2%
Trihalomethanes0.0272 mg/L0.1 mg/L
27%
Bromate0.00033 mg/L0.01 mg/L
3%

141mg of limescale minerals in every litre

Middling hardness. Some scale, slowly

Below the point where a softener pays for itself. Descaling the kettle now and then is all most homes need.

Soft400 mg/L
Outside your tap

Your river is the Darwen - conf Roddlesworth to tidal, rated moderate

The Environment Agency rated the Darwen - conf Roddlesworth to tidal as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by fish, insects and other small river life and 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.

None of this is a test of your tap water. Environment Agency record · River health across England

Within 10 km

188

forever-chemical detections in nearby rivers and groundwater

At 10 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, 1.5 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

PR5 in short

Tap water in PR5 (South Ribble) is supplied by United Utilities in the South Ribble Central zone and scores 8.8 out of 10, against an England and Wales average of 9.0. 1 of 16 tested substances was close to or over a limit. The latest sample is from 20 December 2024.

  • Nickel was measured at 0.036 mg/L, 82% over the UK limitIt is the only one of 16 tested substances to go over its limit. See the full results
  • The lowest score of the 3 areas tested in PrestonPR5 scores 8.8 out of 10. The best in Preston, PR26, scores 9.5. Every area in Preston
  • PFAS found at 10 monitoring sites within 10 kmThose are river and groundwater samples, not tap water. The highest was PFOA about 1.5 km away. What was measured

Next door

PR258.8 out of 10 · 136 mg/LPR269.5 out of 10 · 141 mg/LPR19.4 out of 10 · 85 mg/LPR09.3 out of 10 · 84 mg/LPR29.4 out of 10 · 84 mg/L

Questions about PR5 water

Is PR5 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, PR5 (South Ribble) water scores 8.8/10, which is safe. 1 of 16 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by United Utilities.

What contaminants are in PR5 water?

We tested 16 contaminants in PR5 water. 1 were flagged, including Nickel. 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 PR5?

PR5 (South Ribble) is supplied by United Utilities. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.

Is PR5 water hard or soft?

Water in PR5 (South Ribble) has a hardness of 141 mg/L CaCO3, which is classified as moderately hard. This is a moderate hardness level.

Should I use a water filter in PR5?

With 1 contaminant above recommended levels in PR5, a water filter could help. A reverse osmosis or activated carbon filter is recommended for PFAS removal. See our filter recommendations for your area.

Are there PFAS forever chemicals in PR5 water?

The tap-water tests we hold for PR5 do not include a PFAS result. Environment Agency monitoring found PFAS in 188 river and groundwater samples from 10 sites within 10 km of PR5, the highest being PFOA at 0.088 µg/L about 1.5 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 river near PR5?

The Environment Agency rated the Darwen - conf Roddlesworth to tidal as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by fish, insects and other small river life and 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. This is a rating of the river, not of tap water in PR5, which is treated before it reaches homes.

Keep reading

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 PR5

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.

SubstanceReadingDrinking water limit
pH0.16 pHNone
Dissolved Oxygen9.62 mg/LNone
Temperature6.6 °CNone
Conductivity699 µS/cmNone
Ammonia0.37 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Nitrate0.81 mg/L50 mg/L
Nitrite0.037 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Phosphate0.15 mg/LNone
PFAS (total)0.0015 µg/LNone

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Source: United Utilities test results, published through the Stream Water Data Portal; rivers and PFAS from the Environment Agency. Page updated . How we score · Where the data comes from