Tap water in S70, BarnsleySafe to drink.Moderately soft.
Supplied by Yorkshire Water. 1,223 samples, 25 substances, latest on 21 September 2026. Everything is inside the legal limit, and nothing comes close to it.
9.6 / 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
We earn a commission if you buy through these links, at no extra cost to you. It never changes which product we put first. How we make money
What's in a glass of S70 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 31% of it. 19 of 20 substances used under a quarter of theirs.
- Trihalomethanes31%
- Colour15%
- Nitrate7%
- Aluminium6%
- Nickel5%
- Fluoride5%
- Iron5%
- Mercury4%
- Manganese4%
- Turbidity3%
- Bromate2%
- Arsenic1%
- Antimony1%
- Selenium1%
- Boron<1%
- Copper<1%
- Lead<1%
- Cadmium<1%
- Chromium<1%
- Nitrite0%
- E. coli none found
- Coliform Bacteria none found
- Conductivity 210 µS/cm
- Phosphate 1.31 mg/L
All 25 results as a table
| Substance | Result | Legal limit | Share of limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lead | 0.00009 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | <1% |
| Fluoride | 0.07 mg/L | 1.5 mg/L | 5% |
| Trihalomethanes | 0.0311 mg/L | 0.1 mg/L | 31% |
| E. coli | 0 count/100ml | Must be zero | None found |
| Iron | 0.00928 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 5% |
| Manganese | 0.00178 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | 4% |
| Nitrite | 0 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L | <1% |
| Nitrate | 3.73 mg/L | 50 mg/L | 7% |
| Coliform Bacteria | 0 count/100ml | Must be zero | None found |
| Nickel | 0.00096 mg/L | 0.02 mg/L | 5% |
| Copper | 0.0183 mg/L | 2 mg/L | <1% |
| Colour | 3 mg/L Pt/Co | 20 mg/L Pt/Co | 15% |
| Conductivity | 210 µS/cm | No legal limit | – |
| Turbidity | 0.11 NTU | 4 NTU | 3% |
| Chromium | 0.00019 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | <1% |
| Aluminium | 0.0113 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 6% |
| Cadmium | 0.000031 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | <1% |
| Boron | 0.0094 mg/L | 1 mg/L | <1% |
| Mercury | 0.00004 mg/L | 0.001 mg/L | 4% |
| Bromate | 0.0002 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 2% |
| Selenium | 0.00043 mg/L | 0.04 mg/L | 1% |
| Arsenic | 0.00012 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 1% |
| Antimony | 0.000057 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | 1% |
| Phosphate | 1.31 mg/L | No legal limit | – |
| Hardness (as CaCO3) | 52.2 mg/L | No legal limit | – |
66mg 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 river is the Dearne from Cawthorne Dyke to Lundwood STW, rated moderate
The Environment Agency rated the Dearne from Cawthorne Dyke to Lundwood STW as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by phosphate, 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
S70 in short
Tap water in S70 (Barnsley) is supplied by Yorkshire Water in the Barnsley Central zone and scores 9.6 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.
- 2nd cleanest of 8 areas tested in BarnsleyOnly 1 area in Barnsley scored higher. The best is S36 on 9.7.
- 0.6 points above the national average of 9Cleaner than the typical tested district in the UK. Compare every area
- Nothing tested came within 40% of its legal limitThe highest was Trihalomethanes at 31% of the 0.1 mg/L maximum. See every reading
Questions about S70 water
Is S70 tap water safe to drink?
Based on the latest tests, S70 (Barnsley) water scores 9.6/10, which is safe. 0 of 25 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Yorkshire Water.
What contaminants are in S70 water?
We tested 25 contaminants in S70 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels.
Who supplies water in S70?
S70 (Barnsley) is supplied by Yorkshire Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.
Is S70 water hard or soft?
Water in S70 (Barnsley) has a hardness of 66 mg/L CaCO3, which is classified as moderately soft. This is a moderate hardness level.
Should I use a water filter in S70?
S70 water scored 9.6/10 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 S70 water?
No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for S70, and the Environment Agency has no PFAS detections in rivers or groundwater within 10 km of it. That reflects where sampling has happened as much as the water itself.
How clean is the river near S70?
The Environment Agency rated the Dearne from Cawthorne Dyke to Lundwood STW as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by phosphate, 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 S70, which is treated before it reaches homes.
Keep reading
- 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
- How to Test Your Tap WaterFrom DIY strips to professional lab analysis
- Best Water Filter Jug UKBRITA vs ZeroWater vs the rest, tested against real data
How to test your waterBest water filtersFilter shower headsWater testing kitsUK water rankingsWater hardness checkerWater hardness map
River and groundwater readings near S70
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 | 7.72 pH | None |
| Cadmium | 0.000021 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L |
| Temperature | 8.4 °C | None |
| Conductivity | 1151 µS/cm | None |
| Ammonia | 0.22 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L |
| Nitrate | 6.1 mg/L | 50 mg/L |
| Nitrite | 0.054 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L |
| Phosphate | 0.014 mg/L | None |
| Dissolved Oxygen | 12 mg/L | None |
| Iron | 0.036 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L |
| Lead | 0.002 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L |
| Chromium | 0.001 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L |
| Zinc | 0.0197 mg/L | None |
| Arsenic | 0.001 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L |
| Copper | 0.0036 mg/L | 2 mg/L |
| Nickel | 0.0053 mg/L | 0.02 mg/L |
| Boron | 0.113 mg/L | 1 mg/L |
Get alerts for your area
We'll email you when water quality data changes for S70.