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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in SY21, PowysSafe to drink.Soft.

Supplied by Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water. 289 samples, 22 substances, latest on 15 December 2025. 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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Basic chlorine and taste improvement on a budget

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What's in a glass of SY21 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 37% of it. 18 of 19 substances used under a quarter of theirs.

0%25%50%75%limitLegal limitSelenium: 0.00009 mg/L, <1% of the 0.04 mg/L limitSelenium<1%Cadmium: 0.00002 mg/L, <1% of the 0.005 mg/L limitCadmium<1%Nitrite: 0.003 mg/L, <1% of the 0.5 mg/L limitNitrite<1%Chromium: 0.00042 mg/L, <1% of the 0.05 mg/L limitChromium<1%Antimony: 0.000059 mg/L, 1% of the 0.005 mg/L limitAntimony1%Lead: 0.00014 mg/L, 1% of the 0.01 mg/L limitLead1%Manganese: 0.00073 mg/L, 1% of the 0.05 mg/L limitManganese1%Mercury: 0.000022 mg/L, 2% of the 0.001 mg/L limitMercury2%Copper: 0.0476 mg/L, 2% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper2%Turbidity: 0.12 NTU, 3% of the 4 NTU limitTurbidity3%Boron: 0.03 mg/L, 3% of the 1 mg/L limitBoron3%Arsenic: 0.00032 mg/L, 3% of the 0.01 mg/L limitArsenic3%Fluoride: 0.05 mg/L, 3% of the 1.5 mg/L limitFluoride3%Iron: 0.007 mg/L, 3% of the 0.2 mg/L limitIron3%Colour: 0.8 mg/L Pt/Co, 4% of the 20 mg/L Pt/Co limitColour4%Nickel: 0.001 mg/L, 5% of the 0.02 mg/L limitNickel5%Aluminium: 0.021 mg/L, 11% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium11%Nitrate: 8.9 mg/L, 18% of the 50 mg/L limitNitrate18%Trihalomethanes: 0.0368 mg/L, 37% of the 0.1 mg/L limitTrihalomethanes37%
  1. Trihalomethanes37%
  2. Nitrate18%
  3. Aluminium11%
  4. Nickel5%
  5. Colour4%
  6. Iron3%
  7. Fluoride3%
  8. Arsenic3%
  9. Turbidity3%
  10. Boron3%
  11. Copper2%
  12. Mercury2%
  13. Manganese1%
  14. Lead1%
  15. Antimony1%
  16. Chromium<1%
  17. Nitrite<1%
  18. Cadmium<1%
  19. Selenium<1%
  • Conductivity 569 µS/cm
  • pH 7.23 pH
  • Phosphate 0.835 mg/L
All 22 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Antimony0.000059 mg/L0.005 mg/L
1%
Selenium0.00009 mg/L0.04 mg/L
<1%
Nitrate8.9 mg/L50 mg/L
18%
Nitrite0.003 mg/L0.5 mg/L
<1%
Trihalomethanes0.0368 mg/L0.1 mg/L
37%
Conductivity569 µS/cmNo legal limit–
Aluminium0.021 mg/L0.2 mg/L
11%
Colour0.8 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
4%
Iron0.007 mg/L0.2 mg/L
3%
Manganese0.00073 mg/L0.05 mg/L
1%
Copper0.0476 mg/L2 mg/L
2%
Fluoride0.05 mg/L1.5 mg/L
3%
Arsenic0.00032 mg/L0.01 mg/L
3%
Cadmium0.00002 mg/L0.005 mg/L
<1%
Chromium0.00042 mg/L0.05 mg/L
<1%
Nickel0.001 mg/L0.02 mg/L
5%
Lead0.00014 mg/L0.01 mg/L
1%
Turbidity0.12 NTU4 NTU
3%
pH7.23 pHNo legal limit–
Mercury0.000022 mg/L0.001 mg/L
2%
Boron0.03 mg/L1 mg/L
3%
Phosphate0.835 mg/LNo legal limit–

16mg of limescale minerals in every litre, typical for the SY area. SY21 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.

Soft400 mg/L

SY21 in short

Tap water in SY21 (Powys) is supplied by Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water in the Powys Central zone and scores 9.5 out of 10, against an England and Wales average of 9.0. None of the 22 tested substances came close to a limit. The latest sample is from 15 December 2025.

  • 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
  • 7th cleanest of 17 areas tested in PowysSquarely mid-table for Powys, between LD3 on 9.7 and SY16 on 9.1.
  • Nothing tested came within 40% of its legal limitThe highest was Trihalomethanes at 37% of the 0.1 mg/L maximum. See every reading

Next door

SY179.5 out of 10 · 16 mg/LSY209.6 out of 10 · 16 mg/LSY189.3 out of 10 · 16 mg/LSY159.3 out of 10 · 16 mg/LLD79.4 out of 10LD29.4 out of 10LD39.7 out of 10LD49.4 out of 10LD59.4 out of 10LD69.4 out of 10

Questions about SY21 water

Is SY21 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, SY21 (Powys) water scores 9.5/10, which is safe. 0 of 22 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water.

What contaminants are in SY21 water?

We tested 22 contaminants in SY21 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels.

Who supplies water in SY21?

SY21 (Powys) is supplied by Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.

Is SY21 water hard or soft?

No hardness reading has been published for SY21 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 SY21?

SY21 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 SY21 water?

No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for SY21, 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.

Keep reading

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

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Source: Dŵr Cymru Welsh 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