Tap water in S73, BarnsleySafe to drink.Very hard.
Supplied by Yorkshire Water. 677 samples, 25 substances, latest on 30 September 2026. Everything is inside the legal limit, and nothing comes close to it.
9.0 / 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 282 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.
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
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 S73 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.
Iron came closest to a limit, at 63% of it. 17 of 20 substances used under a quarter of theirs.
- Iron63%
- Nitrate39%
- Manganese28%
- Bromate21%
- Trihalomethanes19%
- Colour15%
- Turbidity8%
- Aluminium6%
- Nickel5%
- Fluoride5%
- Mercury4%
- Boron3%
- Arsenic2%
- Nitrite2%
- Antimony2%
- Selenium1%
- Lead1%
- Cadmium<1%
- Copper<1%
- Chromium<1%
- Coliform Bacteria none found
- E. coli none found
- Conductivity 618 µS/cm
- Phosphate 0 mg/L
All 25 results as a table
| Substance | Result | Legal limit | Share of limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coliform Bacteria | 0 count/100ml | Must be zero | None found |
| E. coli | 0 count/100ml | Must be zero | None found |
| Turbidity | 0.32 NTU | 4 NTU | 8% |
| Colour | 3 mg/L Pt/Co | 20 mg/L Pt/Co | 15% |
| Conductivity | 618 µS/cm | No legal limit | – |
| Iron | 0.125 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 63% |
| Aluminium | 0.0111 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 6% |
| Manganese | 0.0138 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | 28% |
| Phosphate | 0 mg/L | No legal limit | – |
| Trihalomethanes | 0.0189 mg/L | 0.1 mg/L | 19% |
| Nickel | 0.00096 mg/L | 0.02 mg/L | 5% |
| Cadmium | 0.000031 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | <1% |
| Selenium | 0.00043 mg/L | 0.04 mg/L | 1% |
| Copper | 0.011 mg/L | 2 mg/L | <1% |
| Nitrate | 19.5 mg/L | 50 mg/L | 39% |
| Nitrite | 0.008 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L | 2% |
| Chromium | 0.00019 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | <1% |
| Bromate | 0.0021 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 21% |
| Lead | 0.0001 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 1% |
| Arsenic | 0.00024 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 2% |
| Antimony | 0.00008 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | 2% |
| Hardness (as CaCO3) | 307 mg/L | No legal limit | – |
| Fluoride | 0.07 mg/L | 1.5 mg/L | 5% |
| Boron | 0.0262 mg/L | 1 mg/L | 3% |
| Mercury | 0.00004 mg/L | 0.001 mg/L | 4% |
282mg 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.
Softener quotes for S73
Leave your details and we will email you when we can match you with installers who cover S73. No obligation.
Request a free assessment and we'll come back to you with local installer options for your area.
100%
free, no obligation
shared only with your consent
Your river is the Dearne Darfield STW to River Don, rated moderate
The Environment Agency rated the Dearne Darfield STW to River Don 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, phosphate 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
12
forever-chemical detections in nearby rivers and groundwater
At 1 site. The highest was PFBS at 0.0093 µg/L, at RSN1844 River Don at Eastwood Lock, 9.8 km away, in June 2024. These are river and borehole samples, not tests of your tap water.
Every PFAS sample around Sheffield · Which filters remove PFAS · PFAS explained
S73 in short
Tap water in S73 (Barnsley) is supplied by Yorkshire Water in the Barnsley Central zone and scores 9.0 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 30 September 2026.
- The lowest score of the 8 areas tested in BarnsleyS73 scores 9 out of 10. The best in Barnsley, S36, scores 9.7.
- Every one of the 7 neighbouring districts scores higherS36 next door scores 9.7, against 9 here. Supply zones, not distance, explain the gap. See S36
- Iron is the reading closest to its limit, at 63% of the 0.2 mg/L maximumIt passed with room to spare, and everything else tested sat further below its limit. See every reading
Questions about S73 water
Is S73 tap water safe to drink?
Based on the latest tests, S73 (Barnsley) water scores 9/10, which is safe. 0 of 25 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Yorkshire Water.
What contaminants are in S73 water?
We tested 25 contaminants in S73 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 S73?
S73 (Barnsley) is supplied by Yorkshire Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.
Is S73 water hard or soft?
Water in S73 (Barnsley) has a hardness of 282 mg/L CaCO3, which is classified as very hard. Hard water can cause limescale buildup. A water softener or filter jug may help.
Should I use a water filter in S73?
S73 water scored 9/10 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 S73 water?
The tap-water tests we hold for S73 do not include a PFAS result. Environment Agency monitoring found PFAS in 12 river and groundwater samples from 1 sites within 10 km of S73, the highest being PFBS at 0.0093 µg/L about 9.8 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 S73?
The Environment Agency rated the Dearne Darfield STW to River Don 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, phosphate 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 S73, 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
- Best Water Softener UKHarvey, Kinetico, BWT, Monarch and Water2Buy compared, with real costs
- Do I Need a Water Softener?The hardness bands, the symptoms, and a postcode check
- UK Water Hardness MapIs your water hard or soft, and does it matter?
- Do I need a water softener?The hardness bands, the symptoms, and when the answer is no
- Best water softener UKHarvey, Kinetico, BWT, Monarch and Water2Buy compared
- Water softener costUnit, fitting and salt, and how long the payback takes
- Installation explainedWhere it goes, the bypass tap, the drain, DIY or plumber
- Harvey vs KineticoThe two premium twin-cylinder brands, side by side
- Softener salt guideTablet, block or granular, and how much you get through
- Salt-free softenersConditioners and electronic descalers, honestly assessed
PFAS explainedHow to test your waterBest water filtersFilter shower headsWater testing kitsUK water rankingsWater hardness checkerWater hardness map
River and groundwater readings near S73
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Iron | 2.27 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L |
| pH | 7.24 pH | None |
| Temperature | 6.4 °C | None |
| Conductivity | 1213 µS/cm | None |
| Ammonia | 0.098 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L |
| Nitrate | 6.2 mg/L | 50 mg/L |
| Nitrite | 0.028 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L |
| Phosphate | 0.012 mg/L | None |
| Dissolved Oxygen | 10.4 mg/L | None |
| 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 |
| Hardness (as CaCO3) | 346 mg/L | None |
Get alerts for your area
We'll email you when water quality data changes for S73.