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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in TR12, CornwallSafe to drink.

Supplied by South West Water. 217 samples, 16 substances, latest on 10 December 2025. Everything is inside the legal limit, and nothing comes close to it.

9.4 / 10

The tank is as full as the score.

What to do about it

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High-volume under-sink filtration without RO complexity

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What's in a glass of TR12 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 23% of it. 15 of 15 substances used under a quarter of theirs.

0%25%50%75%limitLegal limitCopper: 0.00773 mg/L, <1% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper<1%Lead: 0.0001 mg/L, 1% of the 0.01 mg/L limitLead1%Bromate: 0.0001 mg/L, 1% of the 0.01 mg/L limitBromate1%Cadmium: 0.00006 mg/L, 1% of the 0.005 mg/L limitCadmium1%Chromium: 0.0008 mg/L, 2% of the 0.05 mg/L limitChromium2%Antimony: 0.0001 mg/L, 2% of the 0.005 mg/L limitAntimony2%Manganese: 0.00104 mg/L, 2% of the 0.05 mg/L limitManganese2%Selenium: 0.0012 mg/L, 3% of the 0.04 mg/L limitSelenium3%Turbidity: 0.13 NTU, 3% of the 4 NTU limitTurbidity3%Iron: 0.0076 mg/L, 4% of the 0.2 mg/L limitIron4%Arsenic: 0.00062 mg/L, 6% of the 0.01 mg/L limitArsenic6%Colour: 2 mg/L Pt/Co, 10% of the 20 mg/L Pt/Co limitColour10%Aluminium: 0.0257 mg/L, 13% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium13%Nickel: 0.0033 mg/L, 17% of the 0.02 mg/L limitNickel17%Nitrate: 11.6 mg/L, 23% of the 50 mg/L limitNitrate23%
  1. Nitrate23%
  2. Nickel17%
  3. Aluminium13%
  4. Colour10%
  5. Arsenic6%
  6. Iron4%
  7. Turbidity3%
  8. Selenium3%
  9. Manganese2%
  10. Antimony2%
  11. Chromium2%
  12. Cadmium1%
  13. Lead1%
  14. Bromate1%
  15. Copper<1%
  • pH 7.8 pH
All 16 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Aluminium0.0257 mg/L0.2 mg/L
13%
Colour2 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
10%
Iron0.0076 mg/L0.2 mg/L
4%
Manganese0.00104 mg/L0.05 mg/L
2%
pH7.8 pHNo legal limit–
Turbidity0.13 NTU4 NTU
3%
Copper0.00773 mg/L2 mg/L
<1%
Lead0.0001 mg/L0.01 mg/L
1%
Nickel0.0033 mg/L0.02 mg/L
17%
Bromate0.0001 mg/L0.01 mg/L
1%
Antimony0.0001 mg/L0.005 mg/L
2%
Arsenic0.00062 mg/L0.01 mg/L
6%
Cadmium0.00006 mg/L0.005 mg/L
1%
Chromium0.0008 mg/L0.05 mg/L
2%
Nitrate11.6 mg/L50 mg/L
23%
Selenium0.0012 mg/L0.04 mg/L
3%
Outside your tap

Your river is the Poltesco River, rated moderate

The Environment Agency rated the Poltesco River 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. 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

TR12 in short

Tap water in TR12 (Cornwall) is supplied by South West Water in the Cornwall Central zone and scores 9.4 out of 10, against an England and Wales average of 9.0. None of the 16 tested substances came close to a limit. The latest sample is from 10 December 2025.

  • 41st cleanest of 45 areas tested in Cornwall4 areas in Cornwall scored lower. The best is EX23 on 9.5.
  • Nothing tested came within 40% of its legal limitThe highest was Nitrate at 23% of the 50 mg/L maximum. See every reading
  • Scores higher than 0 of 10 neighbouring districtsWater here is typical for the immediate area, which usually means the same treatment works and the same supply zone.

Questions about TR12 water

Is TR12 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, TR12 (Cornwall) water scores 9.4/10, which is safe. 0 of 16 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by South West Water.

What contaminants are in TR12 water?

We tested 16 contaminants in TR12 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels.

Who supplies water in TR12?

TR12 (Cornwall) is supplied by South West Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.

Should I use a water filter in TR12?

TR12 water scored 9.4/10 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 TR12 water?

No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for TR12, 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 TR12?

The Environment Agency rated the Poltesco River 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. 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 TR12, 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 TR12

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
Ammonia1.32 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Temperature8.3 °CNone
Conductivity361 µS/cmNone
Nitrate4.29 mg/L50 mg/L
Nitrite0.0116 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Phosphate0.031 mg/LNone
Dissolved Oxygen11.4 mg/LNone

Get alerts for your area

We'll email you when water quality data changes for TR12.

Source: South West 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