Tap water in YO8, North YorkshireSafe to drink.Very hard.
Supplied by Yorkshire Water. 905 samples, 25 substances, latest on 17 September 2026. Everything is inside the legal limit. One result, nitrite, sits close to the line.
8.8 / 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 277 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 YO8 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 92% of it. 18 of 20 substances used under a quarter of theirs.
- Nitrite92%
- Nitrate46%
- Trihalomethanes19%
- Colour15%
- Arsenic15%
- Nickel9%
- Aluminium6%
- Mercury4%
- Fluoride4%
- Copper4%
- Iron3%
- Bromate3%
- Turbidity3%
- Boron3%
- Manganese2%
- Antimony2%
- Selenium1%
- Lead<1%
- Cadmium<1%
- Chromium<1%
- Coliform Bacteria none found
- E. coli none found
- Conductivity 544 µS/cm
- Phosphate 0.938 mg/L
All 25 results as a table
| Substance | Result | Legal limit | Share of limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrite | 0.46 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L | 92% |
| 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 | 0.00629 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 3% |
| Manganese | 0.00101 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | 2% |
| Conductivity | 544 µS/cm | No legal limit | – |
| Turbidity | 0.11 NTU | 4 NTU | 3% |
| Colour | 3 mg/L Pt/Co | 20 mg/L Pt/Co | 15% |
| Nitrate | 23 mg/L | 50 mg/L | 46% |
| Phosphate | 0.938 mg/L | No legal limit | – |
| Copper | 0.0735 mg/L | 2 mg/L | 4% |
| Trihalomethanes | 0.0192 mg/L | 0.1 mg/L | 19% |
| Bromate | 0.0003 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 3% |
| Mercury | 0.00004 mg/L | 0.001 mg/L | 4% |
| Lead | 0.00009 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | <1% |
| Nickel | 0.00182 mg/L | 0.02 mg/L | 9% |
| Selenium | 0.00043 mg/L | 0.04 mg/L | 1% |
| Arsenic | 0.00148 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 15% |
| Chromium | 0.00024 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | <1% |
| Cadmium | 0.000031 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | <1% |
| Boron | 0.0252 mg/L | 1 mg/L | 3% |
| Antimony | 0.000088 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | 2% |
| Fluoride | 0.06 mg/L | 1.5 mg/L | 4% |
| Hardness (as CaCO3) | 275 mg/L | No legal limit | – |
277mg 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 YO8
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Your river is the Ouse from R Wharfe to Upper Humber, rated moderate
The Environment Agency rated the Ouse from R Wharfe to Upper Humber as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. 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
YO8 in short
Tap water in YO8 (North Yorkshire) is supplied by Yorkshire Water in the North Yorkshire Central zone and scores 8.8 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 17 September 2026.
- Nitrite is within its legal limit but flagged, at 92% 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
- 27th cleanest of 28 areas tested in North Yorkshire1 area in North Yorkshire scored lower. The best is BD24 on 9.7.
- Every one of the 10 neighbouring districts scores higherBD24 next door scores 9.7, against 8.8 here. Supply zones, not distance, explain the gap. See BD24
Questions about YO8 water
Is YO8 tap water safe to drink?
Based on the latest tests, YO8 (North Yorkshire) water scores 8.8/10, which is safe. 1 of 25 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Yorkshire Water.
What contaminants are in YO8 water?
We tested 25 contaminants in YO8 water. 1 were flagged, including Nitrite.
Who supplies water in YO8?
YO8 (North Yorkshire) is supplied by Yorkshire Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.
Is YO8 water hard or soft?
Water in YO8 (North Yorkshire) has a hardness of 277 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 YO8?
With 1 contaminant above recommended levels in YO8, a water filter could help. A filter jug or under-sink filter can reduce most common contaminants. See our filter recommendations for your area.
Are there PFAS forever chemicals in YO8 water?
No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for YO8, 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 YO8?
The Environment Agency rated the Ouse from R Wharfe to Upper Humber as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. 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 YO8, which is treated before it reaches homes.
Keep reading
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- 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
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- Best water softener UKHarvey, Kinetico, BWT, Monarch and Water2Buy compared
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- Installation explainedWhere it goes, the bypass tap, the drain, DIY or plumber
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- Softener salt guideTablet, block or granular, and how much you get through
- Salt-free softenersConditioners and electronic descalers, honestly assessed
Nitrate levelsHow to test your waterBest water filtersFilter shower headsWater testing kitsUK water rankingsWater hardness checkerWater hardness map
River and groundwater readings near YO8
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.
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