Tap water in SY1, ShropshireSafe to drink.Soft.
Supplied by Severn Trent. 770 samples, 20 substances, latest on 18 December 2025. Everything is inside the legal limit, and nothing comes close to it.
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
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
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What's in a glass of SY1 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 39% of it. 15 of 17 substances used under a quarter of theirs.
- Trihalomethanes39%
- Nickel31%
- Nitrate18%
- Copper12%
- Iron11%
- Aluminium11%
- Colour4%
- Fluoride4%
- Lead4%
- Arsenic3%
- Turbidity3%
- Nitrite3%
- Manganese2%
- Antimony1%
- Chromium<1%
- Cadmium<1%
- Selenium<1%
- pH 7.02 pH
- Conductivity 612 µS/cm
- Phosphate 1.01 mg/L
All 20 results as a table
| Substance | Result | Legal limit | Share of limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colour | 0.8 mg/L Pt/Co | 20 mg/L Pt/Co | 4% |
| Nickel | 0.0061 mg/L | 0.02 mg/L | 31% |
| Lead | 0.00038 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 4% |
| Antimony | 0.000059 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | 1% |
| pH | 7.02 pH | No legal limit | – |
| Selenium | 0.0001 mg/L | 0.04 mg/L | <1% |
| Iron | 0.0216 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 11% |
| Aluminium | 0.021 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 11% |
| Turbidity | 0.12 NTU | 4 NTU | 3% |
| Manganese | 0.00094 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | 2% |
| Nitrate | 9.1 mg/L | 50 mg/L | 18% |
| Nitrite | 0.013 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L | 3% |
| Copper | 0.249 mg/L | 2 mg/L | 12% |
| Fluoride | 0.06 mg/L | 1.5 mg/L | 4% |
| Arsenic | 0.00033 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 3% |
| Cadmium | 0.00002 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | <1% |
| Chromium | 0.00042 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | <1% |
| Conductivity | 612 µS/cm | No legal limit | – |
| Trihalomethanes | 0.0386 mg/L | 0.1 mg/L | 39% |
| Phosphate | 1.01 mg/L | No legal limit | – |
16mg of limescale minerals in every litre, typical for the SY area. SY1 has no reading of its own.
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 Severn - conf Bele Bk to conf Sundorne Bk, rated moderate
The Environment Agency rated the Severn - conf Bele Bk to conf Sundorne Bk as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by water plants and algae and phosphate. 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
SY1 in short
Tap water in SY1 (Shropshire) is supplied by Severn Trent in the Shropshire Central zone and scores 9.1 out of 10, against an England and Wales average of 9.0. None of the 20 tested substances came close to a limit. The latest sample is from 18 December 2025.
- 14th cleanest of 21 areas tested in ShropshireSquarely mid-table for Shropshire, between SY12 on 9.7 and WV15 on 8.6.
- Soft water at 16 mg/LLimescale is not a problem across the SY postcode area, so skip softeners and scale filters entirely. How hardness is measured
- Nothing tested came within 40% of its legal limitThe highest was Trihalomethanes at 39% of the 0.1 mg/L maximum. See every reading
Questions about SY1 water
Is SY1 tap water safe to drink?
Based on the latest tests, SY1 (Shropshire) water scores 9.1/10, which is safe. 0 of 20 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Severn Trent.
What contaminants are in SY1 water?
We tested 20 contaminants in SY1 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels.
Who supplies water in SY1?
SY1 (Shropshire) is supplied by Severn Trent. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.
Is SY1 water hard or soft?
No hardness reading has been published for SY1 itself. Across the SY postcode area the typical value is 16 mg/L CaCO3, which is classified as soft. Soft water is gentle on appliances and skin.
Should I use a water filter in SY1?
SY1 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 SY1 water?
No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for SY1, 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 SY1?
The Environment Agency rated the Severn - conf Bele Bk to conf Sundorne Bk as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by water plants and algae and phosphate. 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 SY1, 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 SY1
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Manganese | 0.0549 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L |
| Iron | 0.471 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L |
| Turbidity | 9.4 NTU | 4 NTU |
| pH | 8.09 pH | None |
| Temperature | 16.3 °C | None |
| Conductivity | 292 µS/cm | None |
| Nitrate | 1.9 mg/L | 50 mg/L |
| Phosphate | 0.055 mg/L | None |
| Dissolved Oxygen | 9.18 mg/L | None |
| Nitrite | 0.0067 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L |
| Aluminium | 0.0133 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L |
| Copper | 0.00151 mg/L | 2 mg/L |
| Zinc | 0.00812 mg/L | None |
| Nickel | 0.00115 mg/L | 0.02 mg/L |
| Arsenic | 0.00209 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L |
| Ammonia | 0.043 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L |
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