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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in S2, SheffieldSafe to drink.Soft.

Supplied by Yorkshire Water. 1,639 samples, 25 substances, latest on 21 September 2026. Everything is inside the legal limit, and nothing comes close to it.

See the filter we recommendSee everything that was tested

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

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What's in a glass of S2 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 42% of it. 19 of 20 substances used under a quarter of theirs.

0%25%50%75%limitLegal limitCopper: 0.00126 mg/L, <1% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper<1%Chromium: 0.00019 mg/L, <1% of the 0.05 mg/L limitChromium<1%Cadmium: 0.000031 mg/L, <1% of the 0.005 mg/L limitCadmium<1%Lead: 0.00009 mg/L, <1% of the 0.01 mg/L limitLead<1%Boron: 0.0106 mg/L, 1% of the 1 mg/L limitBoron1%Selenium: 0.00043 mg/L, 1% of the 0.04 mg/L limitSelenium1%Antimony: 0.000054 mg/L, 1% of the 0.005 mg/L limitAntimony1%Arsenic: 0.00014 mg/L, 1% of the 0.01 mg/L limitArsenic1%Nitrite: 0.008 mg/L, 2% of the 0.5 mg/L limitNitrite2%Turbidity: 0.14 NTU, 4% of the 4 NTU limitTurbidity4%Manganese: 0.00178 mg/L, 4% of the 0.05 mg/L limitManganese4%Mercury: 0.00004 mg/L, 4% of the 0.001 mg/L limitMercury4%Iron: 0.00928 mg/L, 5% of the 0.2 mg/L limitIron5%Fluoride: 0.07 mg/L, 5% of the 1.5 mg/L limitFluoride5%Aluminium: 0.0113 mg/L, 6% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium6%Nitrate: 3.73 mg/L, 7% of the 50 mg/L limitNitrate7%Nickel: 0.0018 mg/L, 9% of the 0.02 mg/L limitNickel9%Bromate: 0.001 mg/L, 10% of the 0.01 mg/L limitBromate10%Colour: 3 mg/L Pt/Co, 15% of the 20 mg/L Pt/Co limitColour15%Trihalomethanes: 0.0423 mg/L, 42% of the 0.1 mg/L limitTrihalomethanes42%
  1. Trihalomethanes42%
  2. Colour15%
  3. Bromate10%
  4. Nickel9%
  5. Nitrate7%
  6. Aluminium6%
  7. Fluoride5%
  8. Iron5%
  9. Mercury4%
  10. Manganese4%
  11. Turbidity4%
  12. Nitrite2%
  13. Arsenic1%
  14. Antimony1%
  15. Selenium1%
  16. Boron1%
  17. Lead<1%
  18. Cadmium<1%
  19. Chromium<1%
  20. Copper<1%
  • Coliform Bacteria none found
  • E. coli none found
  • Conductivity 140 µS/cm
  • Phosphate 1.25 mg/L
All 25 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Coliform Bacteria0 count/100mlMust be zeroNone found
E. coli0 count/100mlMust be zeroNone found
Turbidity0.14 NTU4 NTU
4%
Conductivity140 µS/cmNo legal limit–
Colour3 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
15%
Aluminium0.0113 mg/L0.2 mg/L
6%
Iron0.00928 mg/L0.2 mg/L
5%
Manganese0.00178 mg/L0.05 mg/L
4%
Phosphate1.25 mg/LNo legal limit–
Boron0.0106 mg/L1 mg/L
1%
Nickel0.0018 mg/L0.02 mg/L
9%
Nitrite0.008 mg/L0.5 mg/L
2%
Chromium0.00019 mg/L0.05 mg/L
<1%
Cadmium0.000031 mg/L0.005 mg/L
<1%
Nitrate3.73 mg/L50 mg/L
7%
Bromate0.001 mg/L0.01 mg/L
10%
Fluoride0.07 mg/L1.5 mg/L
5%
Mercury0.00004 mg/L0.001 mg/L
4%
Lead0.00009 mg/L0.01 mg/L
<1%
Antimony0.000054 mg/L0.005 mg/L
1%
Selenium0.00043 mg/L0.04 mg/L
1%
Arsenic0.00014 mg/L0.01 mg/L
1%
Copper0.00126 mg/L2 mg/L
<1%
Trihalomethanes0.0423 mg/L0.1 mg/L
42%
Hardness (as CaCO3)35.2 mg/LNo legal limit–

30mg 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.

Soft400 mg/L
Outside your tap

Your river is the Sheaf from Source to River Don, rated poor

The Environment Agency rated the Sheaf from Source to River Don as poor for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is badly affected, with much of the expected wildlife missing. It is held back by water plants and algae, fish and insects and other small river life. 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

Within 10 km

117

forever-chemical detections in nearby rivers and groundwater

At 6 sites. The highest was PFOS (total) at 0.38 µg/L, at Hillsborough Golf Club, 7.5 km away, in March 2026. These are river and borehole samples, not tests of your tap water.

Every PFAS sample around Sheffield · Which filters remove PFAS · PFAS explained

S2 in short

Tap water in S2 (Sheffield) is supplied by Yorkshire Water in the Sheffield Central zone and scores 9.5 out of 10, against an England and Wales average of 9.0. None of the 25 tested substances came close to a limit. The latest sample is from 21 September 2026.

  • Trihalomethanes is the reading closest to its limit, at 42% of the 0.1 mg/L maximumIt passed with room to spare, and everything else tested sat further below its limit. See every reading
  • 11th cleanest of 17 areas tested in SheffieldSquarely mid-table for Sheffield, between S20 on 10 and S9 on 9.3. Every area in Sheffield
  • Soft water at 30 mg/LLimescale is not a problem in S2, so skip softeners and scale filters entirely. How hardness is measured

Next door

S89.6 out of 10 · 32 mg/LS119.6 out of 10 · 35 mg/LS79.7 out of 10 · 41 mg/LS59.3 out of 10 · 63 mg/LS109.4 out of 10 · 30 mg/LS69.3 out of 10 · 70 mg/LS19.4 out of 10 · 70 mg/LS39.4 out of 10 · 56 mg/LS129.6 out of 10 · 21 mg/LS99.3 out of 10 · 138 mg/L

Questions about S2 water

Is S2 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, S2 (Sheffield) water scores 9.5/10, which is safe. 0 of 25 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Yorkshire Water.

What contaminants are in S2 water?

We tested 25 contaminants in S2 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 S2?

S2 (Sheffield) is supplied by Yorkshire Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.

Is S2 water hard or soft?

Water in S2 (Sheffield) has a hardness of 30 mg/L CaCO3, which is classified as soft. Soft water is gentle on appliances and skin.

Should I use a water filter in S2?

S2 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 S2 water?

The tap-water tests we hold for S2 do not include a PFAS result. Environment Agency monitoring found PFAS in 117 river and groundwater samples from 6 sites within 10 km of S2, the highest being PFOS (total) at 0.38 µg/L about 7.5 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 S2?

The Environment Agency rated the Sheaf from Source to River Don as poor for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is badly affected, with much of the expected wildlife missing. It is held back by water plants and algae, fish and insects and other small river life. 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 S2, which is treated before it reaches homes.

Keep reading

PFAS explainedHow to test your waterBest water filtersFilter shower headsWater testing kitsAll of SheffieldUK water rankingsWater hardness checkerWater hardness map

River and groundwater readings near S2

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
Iron3.53 mg/L0.2 mg/L
Manganese0.994 mg/L0.05 mg/L
pH8.11 pHNone
Temperature7.2 °CNone
Conductivity871 µS/cmNone
Ammonia0.032 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Nitrate3 mg/L50 mg/L
Nitrite0.0055 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Phosphate0.011 mg/LNone
Dissolved Oxygen12.4 mg/LNone
Lead0.000485 mg/L0.01 mg/L
Chromium0.000559 mg/L0.05 mg/L
Aluminium0.14 mg/L0.2 mg/L
Copper0.00459 mg/L2 mg/L
Zinc0.0219 mg/LNone
Nickel0.0112 mg/L0.02 mg/L
Hardness (as CaCO3)349 mg/LNone

Get alerts for your area

We'll email you when water quality data changes for S2.

Source: Yorkshire Water 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