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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in SY5, ShropshireSafe to drink.Soft.

Supplied by Severn Trent. 1,506 samples, 22 substances, latest on 23 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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What's in a glass of SY5 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.

Nitrate came closest to a limit, at 28% of it. 18 of 19 substances used under a quarter of theirs.

0%25%50%75%limitLegal limitCadmium: 0.00001 mg/L, <1% of the 0.005 mg/L limitCadmium<1%Selenium: 0.00019 mg/L, <1% of the 0.04 mg/L limitSelenium<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%Manganese: 0.00073 mg/L, 1% of the 0.05 mg/L limitManganese1%Copper: 0.0406 mg/L, 2% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper2%Mercury: 0.000022 mg/L, 2% of the 0.001 mg/L limitMercury2%Arsenic: 0.00024 mg/L, 2% of the 0.01 mg/L limitArsenic2%Nitrite: 0.013 mg/L, 3% of the 0.5 mg/L limitNitrite3%Turbidity: 0.12 NTU, 3% of the 4 NTU limitTurbidity3%Boron: 0.03 mg/L, 3% of the 1 mg/L limitBoron3%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%Lead: 0.00054 mg/L, 5% of the 0.01 mg/L limitLead5%Fluoride: 0.1 mg/L, 7% of the 1.5 mg/L limitFluoride7%Aluminium: 0.021 mg/L, 11% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium11%Trihalomethanes: 0.0154 mg/L, 15% of the 0.1 mg/L limitTrihalomethanes15%Nitrate: 14.1 mg/L, 28% of the 50 mg/L limitNitrate28%
  1. Nitrate28%
  2. Trihalomethanes15%
  3. Aluminium11%
  4. Fluoride7%
  5. Lead5%
  6. Nickel5%
  7. Colour4%
  8. Iron3%
  9. Turbidity3%
  10. Boron3%
  11. Nitrite3%
  12. Arsenic2%
  13. Mercury2%
  14. Copper2%
  15. Manganese1%
  16. Antimony1%
  17. Chromium<1%
  18. Selenium<1%
  19. Cadmium<1%
  • Conductivity 535 µS/cm
  • pH 7.77 pH
  • Phosphate 0.063 mg/L
All 22 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Colour0.8 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
4%
Turbidity0.12 NTU4 NTU
3%
Conductivity535 µS/cmNo legal limit–
pH7.77 pHNo legal limit–
Iron0.007 mg/L0.2 mg/L
3%
Manganese0.00073 mg/L0.05 mg/L
1%
Copper0.0406 mg/L2 mg/L
2%
Fluoride0.1 mg/L1.5 mg/L
7%
Antimony0.000059 mg/L0.005 mg/L
1%
Trihalomethanes0.0154 mg/L0.1 mg/L
15%
Selenium0.00019 mg/L0.04 mg/L
<1%
Arsenic0.00024 mg/L0.01 mg/L
2%
Nitrate14.1 mg/L50 mg/L
28%
Nitrite0.013 mg/L0.5 mg/L
3%
Cadmium0.00001 mg/L0.005 mg/L
<1%
Chromium0.00042 mg/L0.05 mg/L
<1%
Nickel0.001 mg/L0.02 mg/L
5%
Lead0.00054 mg/L0.01 mg/L
5%
Aluminium0.021 mg/L0.2 mg/L
11%
Mercury0.000022 mg/L0.001 mg/L
2%
Boron0.03 mg/L1 mg/L
3%
Phosphate0.063 mg/LNo legal limit–

16mg of limescale minerals in every litre, typical for the SY area. SY5 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
Outside your tap

Your river is the Rea Bk - conf Pontesford Bk to conf R Severn, rated bad

The Environment Agency rated the Rea Bk - conf Pontesford Bk to conf R Severn as bad for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is severely damaged, with most of the expected wildlife missing. It is held back by water plants and algae, phosphate and specific pollutants. 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

SY5 in short

Tap water in SY5 (Shropshire) is supplied by Severn Trent in the Shropshire 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 23 December 2025.

  • 4th cleanest of 21 areas tested in ShropshireOnly 3 areas in Shropshire scored higher. The best is SY12 on 9.7.
  • 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 Nitrate at 28% of the 50 mg/L maximum. See every reading

Next door

WV78.7 out of 10SY29.5 out of 10 · 16 mg/LSY89.4 out of 10 · 16 mg/LSY69.5 out of 10 · 16 mg/LSY109.2 out of 10 · 16 mg/LSY49.2 out of 10 · 16 mg/LSY39.5 out of 10 · 16 mg/LSY119.3 out of 10 · 16 mg/LSY99.3 out of 10 · 16 mg/LSY19.1 out of 10 · 16 mg/L

Questions about SY5 water

Is SY5 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, SY5 (Shropshire) water scores 9.5/10, which is safe. 0 of 22 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Severn Trent.

What contaminants are in SY5 water?

We tested 22 contaminants in SY5 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels.

Who supplies water in SY5?

SY5 (Shropshire) is supplied by Severn Trent. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.

Is SY5 water hard or soft?

No hardness reading has been published for SY5 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 SY5?

SY5 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 SY5 water?

No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for SY5, 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 SY5?

The Environment Agency rated the Rea Bk - conf Pontesford Bk to conf R Severn as bad for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is severely damaged, with most of the expected wildlife missing. It is held back by water plants and algae, phosphate and specific pollutants. 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 SY5, which is treated before it reaches homes.

Keep reading

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

River and groundwater readings near SY5

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
Lead0.0037 mg/L0.01 mg/L
pH8.2 pHNone
Temperature16 °CNone
Conductivity770 µS/cmNone
Cadmium0.00023 mg/L0.005 mg/L
Hardness (as CaCO3)278 mg/LNone
Zinc0.02 mg/LNone
Nickel0.001 mg/L0.02 mg/L
Copper0.0013 mg/L2 mg/L
Manganese0.029 mg/L0.05 mg/L
Iron0.049 mg/L0.2 mg/L
Nitrate3.7 mg/L50 mg/L
Nitrite0.03 mg/L0.5 mg/L

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Source: Severn Trent 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