Tap water in YO19, YorkSafe to drink.Very hard.
Supplied by Yorkshire Water. 639 samples, 25 substances, latest on 8 September 2026. Everything is inside the legal limit. One result, nitrite, sits close to the line.
8.9 / 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 307 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 YO19 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 80% of it. 18 of 20 substances used under a quarter of theirs.
- Nitrite80%
- Nitrate40%
- Colour15%
- Bromate11%
- Trihalomethanes10%
- Nickel6%
- Copper6%
- Turbidity6%
- Aluminium6%
- Mercury4%
- Fluoride4%
- Iron3%
- Lead3%
- Boron2%
- Manganese2%
- Antimony2%
- Arsenic1%
- Selenium1%
- Cadmium<1%
- Chromium<1%
- Coliform Bacteria none found
- Conductivity 605 µS/cm
- E. coli none found
- Phosphate 1.12 mg/L
All 25 results as a table
| Substance | Result | Legal limit | Share of limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrite | 0.4 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L | 80% |
| Coliform Bacteria | 0 count/100ml | Must be zero | None found |
| Colour | 3 mg/L Pt/Co | 20 mg/L Pt/Co | 15% |
| Conductivity | 605 µS/cm | No legal limit | – |
| Turbidity | 0.24 NTU | 4 NTU | 6% |
| Nitrate | 19.9 mg/L | 50 mg/L | 40% |
| E. coli | 0 count/100ml | Must be zero | None found |
| Manganese | 0.00106 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | 2% |
| Aluminium | 0.0111 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 6% |
| Iron | 0.00629 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 3% |
| Phosphate | 1.12 mg/L | No legal limit | – |
| Bromate | 0.0011 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 11% |
| Lead | 0.00028 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 3% |
| Trihalomethanes | 0.00988 mg/L | 0.1 mg/L | 10% |
| Cadmium | 0.000031 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | <1% |
| Boron | 0.0242 mg/L | 1 mg/L | 2% |
| Nickel | 0.00129 mg/L | 0.02 mg/L | 6% |
| Chromium | 0.00019 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | <1% |
| Mercury | 0.00004 mg/L | 0.001 mg/L | 4% |
| Arsenic | 0.00015 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 1% |
| Antimony | 0.000079 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | 2% |
| Fluoride | 0.06 mg/L | 1.5 mg/L | 4% |
| Selenium | 0.00043 mg/L | 0.04 mg/L | 1% |
| Copper | 0.12 mg/L | 2 mg/L | 6% |
| Hardness (as CaCO3) | 307 mg/L | No legal limit | – |
307mg 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 YO19
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Your river is the Stillingfleet Beck Source to Ouse, rated moderate
The Environment Agency rated the Stillingfleet Beck Source to Ouse as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by dissolved oxygen 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.
None of this is a test of your tap water. Environment Agency record · River health across England
98
forever-chemical detections in nearby rivers and groundwater
At 5 sites. The highest was PFOA at 0.014 µg/L, at RSN0432 Blackfoss Bck at Whiteland Field, 8.7 km away, in April 2026. These are river and borehole samples, not tests of your tap water.
Every PFAS sample around York · Which filters remove PFAS · PFAS explained
YO19 in short
Tap water in YO19 (York) is supplied by Yorkshire Water in the York Central zone and scores 8.9 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 8 September 2026.
- Nitrite is within its legal limit but flagged, at 80% 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
- Among the hardest water in the country at 307 mg/LVery hard starts at 250 mg/L. At this level kettles scale up within weeks and a softener is a normal purchase in YO19. How hardness is measured
- 7th cleanest of 9 areas tested in York2 areas in York scored lower. The best is YO23 on 9.3. Every area in York
Questions about YO19 water
Is YO19 tap water safe to drink?
Based on the latest tests, YO19 (York) water scores 8.9/10, which is safe. 1 of 25 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Yorkshire Water.
What contaminants are in YO19 water?
We tested 25 contaminants in YO19 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 YO19?
YO19 (York) is supplied by Yorkshire Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.
Is YO19 water hard or soft?
Water in YO19 (York) has a hardness of 307 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 YO19?
With 1 contaminant above recommended levels in YO19, 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 YO19 water?
The tap-water tests we hold for YO19 do not include a PFAS result. Environment Agency monitoring found PFAS in 98 river and groundwater samples from 5 sites within 10 km of YO19, the highest being PFOA at 0.014 µg/L about 8.7 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 YO19?
The Environment Agency rated the Stillingfleet Beck Source to Ouse as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by dissolved oxygen 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. This is a rating of the river, not of tap water in YO19, 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 kitsAll of YorkUK water rankingsWater hardness checkerWater hardness map
River and groundwater readings near YO19
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 YO19.