Tap water in WA9, St. HelensSafe to drink.Moderately soft.
Supplied by United Utilities. 2,658 samples, 16 substances, latest on 30 December 2024. Everything is inside the legal limit, and nothing comes close to it.
9.2 / 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 WA9 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 51% of it. 15 of 16 substances used under a quarter of theirs.
- Trihalomethanes51%
- Nitrate13%
- Ammonia11%
- Bromate8%
- Nickel7%
- Antimony6%
- Lead6%
- Turbidity4%
- Iron3%
- Aluminium3%
- Selenium2%
- Nitrite2%
- Cadmium2%
- Chromium2%
- Manganese<1%
- Copper<1%
All 16 results as a table
| Substance | Result | Legal limit | Share of limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turbidity | 0.16 NTU | 4 NTU | 4% |
| Aluminium | 0.00668 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 3% |
| Iron | 0.007 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 3% |
| Manganese | 0.00045 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | <1% |
| Trihalomethanes | 0.0509 mg/L | 0.1 mg/L | 51% |
| Nitrate | 6.64 mg/L | 50 mg/L | 13% |
| Nitrite | 0.0098 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L | 2% |
| Ammonia | 0.054 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L | 11% |
| Cadmium | 0.00009 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | 2% |
| Chromium | 0.00083 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | 2% |
| Antimony | 0.00031 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | 6% |
| Selenium | 0.00085 mg/L | 0.04 mg/L | 2% |
| Bromate | 0.00083 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 8% |
| Copper | 0.0000104 mg/L | 2 mg/L | <1% |
| Nickel | 0.00143 mg/L | 0.02 mg/L | 7% |
| Lead | 0.00055 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 6% |
93mg of limescale minerals in every litre, typical for the WA area. WA9 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 Sutton Brook, rated moderate
The Environment Agency rated the Sutton Brook as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by 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
91
forever-chemical detections in nearby rivers and groundwater
At 6 sites. The highest was PFBA at 0.96 µg/L, at Kodak Ltd. Acorn Road. Wrb No SJ49/64, 9.9 km away, in June 2024. These are river and borehole samples, not tests of your tap water.
Every PFAS sample around Warrington · Which filters remove PFAS · PFAS explained
WA9 in short
Tap water in WA9 (St. Helens) is supplied by United Utilities in the St. Helens Central zone and scores 9.2 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 30 December 2024.
- The lowest score of the 4 areas tested in St. HelensWA9 scores 9.2 out of 10. The best in St. Helens, WA11, scores 9.4.
- Trihalomethanes is the reading closest to its limit, at 51% of the 0.1 mg/L maximumIt passed with room to spare, and everything else tested sat further below its limit. See every reading
- PFAS found at 6 monitoring sites within 10 kmThose are river and groundwater samples, not tap water. The highest was PFBA about 9.9 km away. What was measured
Questions about WA9 water
Is WA9 tap water safe to drink?
Based on the latest tests, WA9 (St. Helens) water scores 9.2/10, which is safe. 0 of 16 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by United Utilities.
What contaminants are in WA9 water?
We tested 16 contaminants in WA9 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 WA9?
WA9 (St. Helens) is supplied by United Utilities. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.
Is WA9 water hard or soft?
No hardness reading has been published for WA9 itself. Across the WA postcode area the typical value is 93 mg/L CaCO3, which is classified as moderately soft. This is a moderate hardness level.
Should I use a water filter in WA9?
WA9 water scored 9.2/10 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 WA9 water?
The tap-water tests we hold for WA9 do not include a PFAS result. Environment Agency monitoring found PFAS in 91 river and groundwater samples from 6 sites within 10 km of WA9, the highest being PFBA at 0.96 µg/L about 9.9 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 WA9?
The Environment Agency rated the Sutton Brook as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by 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 WA9, 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
- 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
PFAS explainedHow to test your waterBest water filtersFilter shower headsWater testing kitsUK water rankingsWater hardness checkerWater hardness map
River and groundwater readings near WA9
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 | 1.11 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L |
| pH | 8.04 pH | None |
| Temperature | 3.4 °C | None |
| Conductivity | 1068 µS/cm | None |
| Ammonia | 0.35 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L |
| Nitrate | 3 mg/L | 50 mg/L |
| Nitrite | 0.028 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L |
| Phosphate | 0.038 mg/L | None |
| Dissolved Oxygen | 12.8 mg/L | None |
| Arsenic | 0.0068 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L |
| Lead | 0.00717 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L |
| Cadmium | 0.00013 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L |
| Hardness (as CaCO3) | 371 mg/L | None |
| Chromium | 0.00223 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L |
| Copper | 0.00658 mg/L | 2 mg/L |
Get alerts for your area
We'll email you when water quality data changes for WA9.