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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in WR8, Malvern HillsSafe to drink.

Supplied by Severn Trent. 673 samples, 20 substances, latest on 15 December 2025. Everything is inside the legal limit, and nothing comes close to it.

See the filter we recommendSee everything that was tested

9.4 / 10

The tank is as full as the score.

What to do about it

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Basic chlorine and taste improvement on a budget

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What's in a glass of WR8 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 38% of it. 16 of 17 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: 0.0001 mg/L, <1% of the 0.04 mg/L limitSelenium<1%Nitrite: 0.003 mg/L, <1% of the 0.5 mg/L limitNitrite<1%Chromium: 0.00042 mg/L, <1% of the 0.05 mg/L limitChromium<1%Copper: 0.0191 mg/L, <1% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper<1%Lead: 0.00014 mg/L, 1% of the 0.01 mg/L limitLead1%Manganese: 0.00073 mg/L, 1% of the 0.05 mg/L limitManganese1%Arsenic: 0.00019 mg/L, 2% of the 0.01 mg/L limitArsenic2%Fluoride: 0.04 mg/L, 3% of the 1.5 mg/L limitFluoride3%Antimony: 0.000148 mg/L, 3% of the 0.005 mg/L limitAntimony3%Turbidity: 0.12 NTU, 3% of the 4 NTU limitTurbidity3%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%Aluminium: 0.021 mg/L, 11% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium11%Trihalomethanes: 0.0242 mg/L, 24% of the 0.1 mg/L limitTrihalomethanes24%Nitrate: 19.1 mg/L, 38% of the 50 mg/L limitNitrate38%
  1. Nitrate38%
  2. Trihalomethanes24%
  3. Aluminium11%
  4. Nickel5%
  5. Colour4%
  6. Iron3%
  7. Turbidity3%
  8. Antimony3%
  9. Fluoride3%
  10. Arsenic2%
  11. Manganese1%
  12. Lead1%
  13. Copper<1%
  14. Chromium<1%
  15. Nitrite<1%
  16. Selenium<1%
  17. Cadmium<1%
  • pH 7.33 pH
  • Conductivity 909 µS/cm
  • Phosphate 1.04 mg/L
All 20 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Turbidity0.12 NTU4 NTU
3%
Aluminium0.021 mg/L0.2 mg/L
11%
Iron0.007 mg/L0.2 mg/L
3%
Manganese0.00073 mg/L0.05 mg/L
1%
Copper0.0191 mg/L2 mg/L
<1%
Fluoride0.04 mg/L1.5 mg/L
3%
Arsenic0.00019 mg/L0.01 mg/L
2%
Cadmium0.00001 mg/L0.005 mg/L
<1%
Chromium0.00042 mg/L0.05 mg/L
<1%
Nickel0.001 mg/L0.02 mg/L
5%
Lead0.00014 mg/L0.01 mg/L
1%
Antimony0.000148 mg/L0.005 mg/L
3%
Selenium0.0001 mg/L0.04 mg/L
<1%
Colour0.8 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
4%
pH7.33 pHNo legal limit–
Nitrate19.1 mg/L50 mg/L
38%
Nitrite0.003 mg/L0.5 mg/L
<1%
Conductivity909 µS/cmNo legal limit–
Trihalomethanes0.0242 mg/L0.1 mg/L
24%
Phosphate1.04 mg/LNo legal limit–
Outside your tap

Your river is the Severn - conf R Teme to conf R Avon, rated poor

The Environment Agency rated the Severn - conf R Teme to conf R Avon as poor for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is badly affected, with much of the expected wildlife missing. It is held back by insects and other small river life, water plants and algae and 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. Its ecological rating has dropped since the previous assessment.

None of this is a test of your tap water. Environment Agency record · River health across England

Within 10 km

83

forever-chemical detections in nearby rivers and groundwater

At 3 sites. The highest was PFOS at 0.0076 µg/L, at River Avon Lower Tewkesbury, 9.2 km away, in October 2023. These are river and borehole samples, not tests of your tap water.

Every PFAS sample around Cheltenham · Which filters remove PFAS · PFAS explained

WR8 in short

Tap water in WR8 (Malvern Hills) is supplied by Severn Trent in the Malvern Hills Central zone and scores 9.4 out of 10, against an England and Wales average of 9.0. None of the 20 tested substances came close to a limit. The latest sample is from 15 December 2025.

  • The cleanest tap water of the 4 areas tested in Malvern HillsWR8 scores 9.4 out of 10, ahead of WR15 in second place on 9.3.
  • Scores higher than all 3 neighbouring districtsThe nearest rival is WR15 on 9.3, against 9.4 here. Compare with WR15
  • PFAS found at 3 monitoring sites within 10 kmThose are river and groundwater samples, not tap water. The highest was PFOS about 9.2 km away. What was measured

Next door

WR149.1 out of 10WR69.1 out of 10WR159.3 out of 10

Questions about WR8 water

Is WR8 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, WR8 (Malvern Hills) water scores 9.4/10, which is safe. 0 of 20 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Severn Trent.

What contaminants are in WR8 water?

We tested 20 contaminants in WR8 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 WR8?

WR8 (Malvern Hills) is supplied by Severn Trent. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.

Should I use a water filter in WR8?

WR8 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 WR8 water?

The tap-water tests we hold for WR8 do not include a PFAS result. Environment Agency monitoring found PFAS in 83 river and groundwater samples from 3 sites within 10 km of WR8, the highest being PFOS at 0.0076 µg/L about 9.2 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 WR8?

The Environment Agency rated the Severn - conf R Teme to conf R Avon as poor for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is badly affected, with much of the expected wildlife missing. It is held back by insects and other small river life, water plants and algae and 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. Its ecological rating has dropped since the previous assessment. This is a rating of the river, not of tap water in WR8, which is treated before it reaches homes.

Keep reading

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

River and groundwater readings near WR8

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
Manganese0.083 mg/L0.05 mg/L
pH7.73 pHNone
Temperature18 °CNone
Conductivity685 µS/cmNone
Ammonia0.088 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Nitrate6 mg/L50 mg/L
Nitrite0.028 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Phosphate0.18 mg/LNone
Dissolved Oxygen8.64 mg/LNone
Copper0.0042 mg/L2 mg/L
Zinc0.017 mg/LNone
Iron0.12 mg/L0.2 mg/L
Lead0.000447 mg/L0.01 mg/L
Hardness (as CaCO3)206 mg/LNone

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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