Tap water in WF6, WakefieldSafe to drink.Very hard.
Supplied by Yorkshire Water. 821 samples, 25 substances, latest on 25 September 2026. Everything is inside the legal limit. One result, nitrite, sits close to the line.
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
Hard water: compare softener quotes
At 211 mg/L a softener is the only thing that stops limescale. Filters do not soften water.
It pays for itself in most homes at this hardness, through a boiler that stays efficient and appliances that last.
Waterdrop G3P600 Reverse Osmosis
£550typical price
Maximum contaminant removal including PFAS and fluoride
Waterdrop 10UA Under Sink
£70typical price
High-volume under-sink filtration without RO complexity
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What's in a glass of WF6 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.
Nitrite came closest to a limit, at 78% of it. 17 of 20 substances used under a quarter of theirs.
- Nitrite78%
- Nitrate39%
- Trihalomethanes27%
- Colour15%
- Bromate9%
- Aluminium6%
- Nickel5%
- Iron5%
- Fluoride4%
- Mercury4%
- Manganese4%
- Turbidity3%
- Boron2%
- Antimony2%
- Arsenic2%
- Selenium1%
- Lead<1%
- Cadmium<1%
- Chromium<1%
- Copper<1%
- Coliform Bacteria none found
- E. coli none found
- Phosphate 0.801 mg/L
- Conductivity 515 µS/cm
All 25 results as a table
| Substance | Result | Legal limit | Share of limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrite | 0.39 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L | 78% |
| Coliform Bacteria | 0 count/100ml | Must be zero | None found |
| E. coli | 0 count/100ml | Must be zero | None found |
| Phosphate | 0.801 mg/L | No legal limit | – |
| Hardness (as CaCO3) | 174 mg/L | No legal limit | – |
| Manganese | 0.00178 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | 4% |
| Iron | 0.00928 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 5% |
| Aluminium | 0.0113 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 6% |
| Turbidity | 0.11 NTU | 4 NTU | 3% |
| Colour | 3 mg/L Pt/Co | 20 mg/L Pt/Co | 15% |
| Conductivity | 515 µS/cm | No legal limit | – |
| Nitrate | 19.4 mg/L | 50 mg/L | 39% |
| Arsenic | 0.00017 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 2% |
| Antimony | 0.000087 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | 2% |
| Fluoride | 0.06 mg/L | 1.5 mg/L | 4% |
| Copper | 0.0035 mg/L | 2 mg/L | <1% |
| Nickel | 0.00106 mg/L | 0.02 mg/L | 5% |
| Selenium | 0.00043 mg/L | 0.04 mg/L | 1% |
| Lead | 0.00009 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | <1% |
| Bromate | 0.0009 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 9% |
| Chromium | 0.00019 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | <1% |
| Cadmium | 0.000031 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | <1% |
| Boron | 0.0197 mg/L | 1 mg/L | 2% |
| Mercury | 0.00004 mg/L | 0.001 mg/L | 4% |
| Trihalomethanes | 0.0274 mg/L | 0.1 mg/L | 27% |
211mg of limescale minerals in every litre
This is the water that furs up kettles
Very hard on the UK scale. It is fine to drink. It is hard on boilers, showers, skin and anything that heats water, and a jug or tap filter will not change that.
Softener quotes for WF6
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Your river is the Choke Churl Bk from Source to River Calder, rated moderate
The Environment Agency rated the Choke Churl Bk from Source to River Calder 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
67
forever-chemical detections in nearby rivers and groundwater
At 4 sites. The highest was PFBS at 0.047 µg/L, at SSN1573 Ossett Dike Trib of Lupset Beck, 9.6 km away, in December 2025. These are river and borehole samples, not tests of your tap water.
Every PFAS sample around Leeds · Which filters remove PFAS · PFAS explained
WF6 in short
Tap water in WF6 (Wakefield) is supplied by Yorkshire Water in the Wakefield Central zone and scores 9.1 out of 10, against an England and Wales average of 9.0. 1 of 25 tested substances was close to or over a limit. The latest sample is from 25 September 2026.
- Nitrite is within its legal limit but flagged, at 78% of the 0.5 mg/L maximumAnything over three quarters of a limit is flagged here as worth watching. It has not gone over. See every reading
- Hard water at 211 mg/LHard starts at 180 mg/L, the point where a softener begins to pay for itself. Limescale will build up in WF6. How hardness is measured
- 7th cleanest of 11 areas tested in WakefieldSquarely mid-table for Wakefield, between WF2 on 9.5 and WF7 on 8.3.
Questions about WF6 water
Is WF6 tap water safe to drink?
Based on the latest tests, WF6 (Wakefield) water scores 9.1/10, which is safe. 1 of 25 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Yorkshire Water.
What contaminants are in WF6 water?
We tested 25 contaminants in WF6 water. 1 were flagged, including Nitrite. 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 WF6?
WF6 (Wakefield) is supplied by Yorkshire Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.
Is WF6 water hard or soft?
Water in WF6 (Wakefield) has a hardness of 211 mg/L CaCO3, which is classified as hard. Hard water can cause limescale buildup. A water softener or filter jug may help.
Should I use a water filter in WF6?
With 1 contaminant above recommended levels in WF6, a water filter could help. A reverse osmosis or activated carbon filter is recommended for PFAS removal. See our filter recommendations for your area.
Are there PFAS forever chemicals in WF6 water?
The tap-water tests we hold for WF6 do not include a PFAS result. Environment Agency monitoring found PFAS in 67 river and groundwater samples from 4 sites within 10 km of WF6, the highest being PFBS at 0.047 µg/L about 9.6 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 WF6?
The Environment Agency rated the Choke Churl Bk from Source to River Calder 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 WF6, 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
- Best Water Softener UKHarvey, Kinetico, BWT, Monarch and Water2Buy compared, with real costs
- Do I Need a Water Softener?The hardness bands, the symptoms, and a postcode check
- UK Water Hardness MapIs your water hard or soft, and does it matter?
- Best Water Filters UKEvery filter type compared on what it actually removes
- Do I need a water softener?The hardness bands, the symptoms, and when the answer is no
- Best water softener UKHarvey, Kinetico, BWT, Monarch and Water2Buy compared
- Water softener costUnit, fitting and salt, and how long the payback takes
- Installation explainedWhere it goes, the bypass tap, the drain, DIY or plumber
- Harvey vs KineticoThe two premium twin-cylinder brands, side by side
- Softener salt guideTablet, block or granular, and how much you get through
- Salt-free softenersConditioners and electronic descalers, honestly assessed
PFAS explainedNitrate levelsHow to test your waterBest water filtersFilter shower headsWater testing kitsUK water rankingsWater hardness checkerWater hardness map
River and groundwater readings near WF6
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 | 1.17 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L |
| Aluminium | 0.591 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L |
| pH | 7.92 pH | None |
| Temperature | 10 °C | None |
| Conductivity | 1246 µS/cm | None |
| Ammonia | 0.044 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L |
| Nitrate | 0.27 mg/L | 50 mg/L |
| Phosphate | 0.062 mg/L | None |
| Dissolved Oxygen | 8.06 mg/L | None |
| Nitrite | 0.0134 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L |
| Hardness (as CaCO3) | 485 mg/L | None |
| Chromium | 0.0013 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L |
| Zinc | 0.0113 mg/L | None |
| Nickel | 0.0076 mg/L | 0.02 mg/L |
| Arsenic | 0.0012 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L |
| Copper | 0.0034 mg/L | 2 mg/L |
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