Tap water in YO32, YorkSafe to drink.Very hard.
Supplied by Yorkshire Water. 1,388 samples, 25 substances, latest on 15 September 2026. 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
Hard water: compare softener quotes
At 230 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 YO32 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.
Bromate came closest to a limit, at 32% of it. 17 of 20 substances used under a quarter of theirs.
- Bromate32%
- Trihalomethanes27%
- Nitrate27%
- Colour15%
- Iron10%
- Fluoride6%
- Aluminium6%
- Mercury4%
- Nickel4%
- Manganese3%
- Turbidity3%
- Boron3%
- Arsenic2%
- Copper2%
- Antimony2%
- Nitrite2%
- Selenium1%
- Lead<1%
- Cadmium<1%
- Chromium<1%
- Coliform Bacteria none found
- E. coli none found
- Conductivity 624 µS/cm
- Phosphate 1.2 mg/L
All 25 results as a table
| Substance | Result | Legal limit | Share of limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coliform Bacteria | 0 count/100ml | Must be zero | None found |
| E. coli | 0 count/100ml | Must be zero | None found |
| Aluminium | 0.0111 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 6% |
| Iron | 0.0195 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 10% |
| Manganese | 0.00153 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | 3% |
| Turbidity | 0.12 NTU | 4 NTU | 3% |
| Colour | 3 mg/L Pt/Co | 20 mg/L Pt/Co | 15% |
| Conductivity | 624 µS/cm | No legal limit | – |
| Nitrite | 0.008 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L | 2% |
| Nitrate | 13.4 mg/L | 50 mg/L | 27% |
| Phosphate | 1.2 mg/L | No legal limit | – |
| Trihalomethanes | 0.027 mg/L | 0.1 mg/L | 27% |
| Lead | 0.00009 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | <1% |
| Selenium | 0.00043 mg/L | 0.04 mg/L | 1% |
| Arsenic | 0.00022 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 2% |
| Antimony | 0.000089 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | 2% |
| Mercury | 0.00004 mg/L | 0.001 mg/L | 4% |
| Fluoride | 0.09 mg/L | 1.5 mg/L | 6% |
| Bromate | 0.0032 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 32% |
| Nickel | 0.00077 mg/L | 0.02 mg/L | 4% |
| Copper | 0.0363 mg/L | 2 mg/L | 2% |
| Chromium | 0.00019 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | <1% |
| Cadmium | 0.000031 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | <1% |
| Boron | 0.0283 mg/L | 1 mg/L | 3% |
| Hardness (as CaCO3) | 282 mg/L | No legal limit | – |
230mg 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 YO32
Leave your details and we will email you when we can match you with installers who cover YO32. 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 Foss from the Syke to the River Ouse, rated moderate
The Environment Agency rated the Foss from the Syke to the River 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 insects and other small river life 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
79
forever-chemical detections in nearby rivers and groundwater
At 9 sites. The highest was 6:2 FTSA at 0.055 µg/L, at The Sike at Woodlands Farm Cattle Grid, 5.7 km away, in December 2024. These are river and borehole samples, not tests of your tap water.
Every PFAS sample around York · Which filters remove PFAS · PFAS explained
YO32 in short
Tap water in YO32 (York) is supplied by Yorkshire Water in the York Central zone and scores 9.2 out of 10, against an England and Wales average of 9.0. None of the 25 tested substances came close to a limit. The latest sample is from 15 September 2026.
- Hard water at 230 mg/LHard starts at 180 mg/L, the point where a softener begins to pay for itself. Limescale will build up in YO32. How hardness is measured
- 3rd cleanest of 9 areas tested in YorkOnly 2 areas in York scored higher. The best is YO23 on 9.3. Every area in York
- PFAS found at 9 monitoring sites within 10 kmThose are river and groundwater samples, not tap water. The highest was 6:2 FTSA about 5.7 km away. What was measured
Questions about YO32 water
Is YO32 tap water safe to drink?
Based on the latest tests, YO32 (York) water scores 9.2/10, which is safe. 0 of 25 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Yorkshire Water.
What contaminants are in YO32 water?
We tested 25 contaminants in YO32 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 YO32?
YO32 (York) is supplied by Yorkshire Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.
Is YO32 water hard or soft?
Water in YO32 (York) has a hardness of 230 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 YO32?
YO32 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 YO32 water?
The tap-water tests we hold for YO32 do not include a PFAS result. Environment Agency monitoring found PFAS in 79 river and groundwater samples from 9 sites within 10 km of YO32, the highest being 6:2 FTSA at 0.055 µg/L about 5.7 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 YO32?
The Environment Agency rated the Foss from the Syke to the River 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 insects and other small river life 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 YO32, 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?
- 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 explainedHow to test your waterBest water filtersFilter shower headsWater testing kitsAll of YorkUK water rankingsWater hardness checkerWater hardness map
River and groundwater readings near YO32
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 |
|---|---|---|
| pH | 7.29 pH | None |
| Temperature | 11.8 °C | None |
| Conductivity | 815 µS/cm | None |
| Nitrate | 11 mg/L | 50 mg/L |
| Nitrite | 0.044 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L |
| Phosphate | 0.22 mg/L | None |
| Dissolved Oxygen | 10.3 mg/L | None |
| Ammonia | 0.031 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L |
| Iron | 0.059 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L |
| Aluminium | 0.04 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L |
| Copper | 0.0055 mg/L | 2 mg/L |
| Manganese | 0.016 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L |
| PFAS (total) | 0.0018 µg/L | None |
Get alerts for your area
We'll email you when water quality data changes for YO32.