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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in S26, RotherhamSafe to drink.Very hard.

Supplied by Yorkshire Water. 1,026 samples, 25 substances, latest on 14 September 2026. Everything is inside the legal limit, and nothing comes close to it.

Get softener quotes for S26See everything that was tested

9.1 / 10

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

What to do about it

Hard water: compare softener quotes

At 246 mg/L a softener is the only thing that stops limescale. Filters do not soften water.

It pays for itself in most homes at this hardness, through a boiler that stays efficient and appliances that last.

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What's in a glass of S26 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.

Nitrite came closest to a limit, at 58% of it. 17 of 20 substances used under a quarter of theirs.

0%25%50%75%limitLegal limitChromium: 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%Copper: 0.0149 mg/L, <1% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper<1%Lead: 0.00009 mg/L, <1% of the 0.01 mg/L limitLead<1%Selenium: 0.00043 mg/L, 1% of the 0.04 mg/L limitSelenium1%Antimony: 0.000081 mg/L, 2% of the 0.005 mg/L limitAntimony2%Boron: 0.0229 mg/L, 2% of the 1 mg/L limitBoron2%Arsenic: 0.00023 mg/L, 2% of the 0.01 mg/L limitArsenic2%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%Fluoride: 0.06 mg/L, 4% of the 1.5 mg/L limitFluoride4%Iron: 0.00928 mg/L, 5% of the 0.2 mg/L limitIron5%Nickel: 0.00106 mg/L, 5% of the 0.02 mg/L limitNickel5%Turbidity: 0.22 NTU, 6% of the 4 NTU limitTurbidity6%Aluminium: 0.0113 mg/L, 6% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium6%Colour: 3 mg/L Pt/Co, 15% of the 20 mg/L Pt/Co limitColour15%Bromate: 0.0021 mg/L, 21% of the 0.01 mg/L limitBromate21%Nitrate: 14.6 mg/L, 29% of the 50 mg/L limitNitrate29%Trihalomethanes: 0.0425 mg/L, 43% of the 0.1 mg/L limitTrihalomethanes43%Nitrite: 0.29 mg/L, 58% of the 0.5 mg/L limitNitrite58%
  1. Nitrite58%
  2. Trihalomethanes43%
  3. Nitrate29%
  4. Bromate21%
  5. Colour15%
  6. Aluminium6%
  7. Turbidity6%
  8. Nickel5%
  9. Iron5%
  10. Mercury4%
  11. Fluoride4%
  12. Manganese4%
  13. Arsenic2%
  14. Boron2%
  15. Antimony2%
  16. Selenium1%
  17. Lead<1%
  18. Copper<1%
  19. Cadmium<1%
  20. Chromium<1%
  • E. coli none found
  • Coliform Bacteria none found
  • Conductivity 601 µS/cm
  • Phosphate 1.12 mg/L
All 25 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
E. coli0 count/100mlMust be zeroNone found
Coliform Bacteria0 count/100mlMust be zeroNone found
Iron0.00928 mg/L0.2 mg/L
5%
Aluminium0.0113 mg/L0.2 mg/L
6%
Colour3 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
15%
Conductivity601 µS/cmNo legal limit–
Turbidity0.22 NTU4 NTU
6%
Manganese0.00178 mg/L0.05 mg/L
4%
Phosphate1.12 mg/LNo legal limit–
Mercury0.00004 mg/L0.001 mg/L
4%
Chromium0.00019 mg/L0.05 mg/L
<1%
Copper0.0149 mg/L2 mg/L
<1%
Cadmium0.000031 mg/L0.005 mg/L
<1%
Boron0.0229 mg/L1 mg/L
2%
Nickel0.00106 mg/L0.02 mg/L
5%
Lead0.00009 mg/L0.01 mg/L
<1%
Trihalomethanes0.0425 mg/L0.1 mg/L
43%
Selenium0.00043 mg/L0.04 mg/L
1%
Arsenic0.00023 mg/L0.01 mg/L
2%
Antimony0.000081 mg/L0.005 mg/L
2%
Fluoride0.06 mg/L1.5 mg/L
4%
Bromate0.0021 mg/L0.01 mg/L
21%
Nitrite0.29 mg/L0.5 mg/L
58%
Nitrate14.6 mg/L50 mg/L
29%
Hardness (as CaCO3)209 mg/LNo legal limit–

246mg of limescale minerals in every litre

This is the water that furs up kettles

Very hard on the UK scale. It is fine to drink. It is hard on boilers, showers, skin and anything that heats water, and a jug or tap filter will not change that.

Soft400 mg/L

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Outside your tap

Your river is the Pigeon Bridge Brook from Source to River Rother, rated poor

The Environment Agency rated the Pigeon Bridge Brook from Source to River Rother 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 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.

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

Within 10 km

9

forever-chemical detections in nearby rivers and groundwater

At 1 site. The highest was PFBA at 0.0045 µg/L, at Rother at Haworth Lane - Canklow, 6.7 km away, in December 2023. These are river and borehole samples, not tests of your tap water.

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

S26 in short

Tap water in S26 (Rotherham) is supplied by Yorkshire Water in the Rotherham Central zone and scores 9.1 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 14 September 2026.

  • Nitrite is the reading closest to its limit, at 58% of the 0.5 mg/L maximumIt passed with room to spare, and everything else tested sat further below its limit. See every reading
  • Hard water at 246 mg/LHard starts at 180 mg/L, the point where a softener begins to pay for itself. Limescale will build up in S26. How hardness is measured
  • 5th cleanest of 8 areas tested in RotherhamSquarely mid-table for Rotherham, between S61 on 9.4 and S66 on 8.6.

Next door

S649.2 out of 10 · 277 mg/LS659.0 out of 10 · 261 mg/LS668.6 out of 10 · 266 mg/LS259.1 out of 10 · 183 mg/LS609.3 out of 10 · 213 mg/LS619.4 out of 10 · 185 mg/LS629.1 out of 10 · 267 mg/LS219.2 out of 10 · 88 mg/L

Questions about S26 water

Is S26 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, S26 (Rotherham) water scores 9.1/10, which is safe. 0 of 25 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Yorkshire Water.

What contaminants are in S26 water?

We tested 25 contaminants in S26 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 S26?

S26 (Rotherham) is supplied by Yorkshire Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.

Is S26 water hard or soft?

Water in S26 (Rotherham) has a hardness of 246 mg/L CaCO3, which is classified as hard. Hard water can cause limescale buildup. A water softener or filter jug may help.

Should I use a water filter in S26?

S26 water scored 9.1/10 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 S26 water?

The tap-water tests we hold for S26 do not include a PFAS result. Environment Agency monitoring found PFAS in 9 river and groundwater samples from 1 sites within 10 km of S26, the highest being PFBA at 0.0045 µg/L about 6.7 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 S26?

The Environment Agency rated the Pigeon Bridge Brook from Source to River Rother 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 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. This is a rating of the river, not of tap water in S26, which is treated before it reaches homes.

Keep reading

PFAS explainedHow to test your waterBest water filtersFilter shower headsWater testing kitsUK water rankingsWater hardness checkerWater hardness map

River and groundwater readings near S26

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
pH7.19 pHNone
Iron0.063 mg/L0.2 mg/L
Temperature9.5 °CNone
Ammonia0.051 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Nitrate9.7 mg/L50 mg/L
Nitrite0.047 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Phosphate0.097 mg/LNone
Dissolved Oxygen10.6 mg/LNone
Conductivity597 µS/cmNone

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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