Tap water in WF9, WakefieldSafe to drink.Very hard.
Supplied by Yorkshire Water. 1,064 samples, 22 substances, latest on 21 September 2026. Everything is inside the legal limit, and nothing comes close to it.
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 283 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.
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
We earn a commission if you buy through these links, at no extra cost to you. It never changes which product we put first. How we make money
What's in a glass of WF9 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 47% of it. 15 of 17 substances used under a quarter of theirs.
- Nitrate47%
- Trihalomethanes25%
- Bromate16%
- Colour15%
- Lead9%
- Nickel7%
- Aluminium6%
- Iron5%
- Manganese4%
- Turbidity3%
- Arsenic3%
- Antimony2%
- Nitrite2%
- Selenium1%
- Copper1%
- Cadmium<1%
- Chromium<1%
- Conductivity 611 µS/cm
- Coliform Bacteria none found
- E. coli none found
- Phosphate 1.15 mg/L
All 22 results as a table
| Substance | Result | Legal limit | Share of limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aluminium | 0.0113 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 6% |
| Conductivity | 611 µS/cm | No legal limit | – |
| Nitrite | 0.008 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L | 2% |
| Coliform Bacteria | 0 count/100ml | Must be zero | None found |
| Turbidity | 0.12 NTU | 4 NTU | 3% |
| Colour | 3 mg/L Pt/Co | 20 mg/L Pt/Co | 15% |
| Nitrate | 23.7 mg/L | 50 mg/L | 47% |
| Iron | 0.00928 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 5% |
| Manganese | 0.00178 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | 4% |
| E. coli | 0 count/100ml | Must be zero | None found |
| Phosphate | 1.15 mg/L | No legal limit | – |
| Bromate | 0.0016 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 16% |
| Trihalomethanes | 0.0251 mg/L | 0.1 mg/L | 25% |
| Copper | 0.0212 mg/L | 2 mg/L | 1% |
| Cadmium | 0.000031 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | <1% |
| Chromium | 0.00019 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | <1% |
| Nickel | 0.00136 mg/L | 0.02 mg/L | 7% |
| Lead | 0.00085 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 9% |
| Antimony | 0.000089 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | 2% |
| Arsenic | 0.00026 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 3% |
| Selenium | 0.00043 mg/L | 0.04 mg/L | 1% |
| Hardness (as CaCO3) | 280 mg/L | No legal limit | – |
283mg 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 WF9
Leave your details and we will email you when we can match you with installers who cover WF9. No obligation.
Request a free assessment and we'll come back to you with local installer options for your area.
100%
free, no obligation
shared only with your consent
Your river is the Ea Beck from Source to Frickley Beck, rated moderate
The Environment Agency rated the Ea Beck from Source to Frickley Beck 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
WF9 in short
Tap water in WF9 (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. None of the 22 tested substances came close to a limit. The latest sample is from 21 September 2026.
- Very hard water at 283 mg/LThe threshold for very hard is 250 mg/L. Expect visible limescale on taps and in kettles in WF9. How hardness is measured
- Nitrate is the reading closest to its limit, at 47% of the 50 mg/L maximumIt passed with room to spare, and everything else tested sat further below its limit. See every reading
- 8th cleanest of 11 areas tested in Wakefield3 areas in Wakefield scored lower. The best is WF2 on 9.5.
Questions about WF9 water
Is WF9 tap water safe to drink?
Based on the latest tests, WF9 (Wakefield) water scores 9.1/10, which is safe. 0 of 22 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Yorkshire Water.
What contaminants are in WF9 water?
We tested 22 contaminants in WF9 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels.
Who supplies water in WF9?
WF9 (Wakefield) is supplied by Yorkshire Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.
Is WF9 water hard or soft?
Water in WF9 (Wakefield) has a hardness of 283 mg/L CaCO3, which is classified as very hard. Hard water can cause limescale buildup. A water softener or filter jug may help.
Should I use a water filter in WF9?
WF9 water scored 9.1/10 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 WF9 water?
No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for WF9, 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 WF9?
The Environment Agency rated the Ea Beck from Source to Frickley Beck 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 WF9, which is treated before it reaches homes.
Keep reading
- 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?
- Is UK Tap Water Safe?Everything you need to know about tap water safety in the UK
- 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
How to test your waterBest water filtersFilter shower headsWater testing kitsUK water rankingsWater hardness checkerWater hardness map
River and groundwater readings near WF9
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.
Get alerts for your area
We'll email you when water quality data changes for WF9.