Skip to main content
tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in B26, BirminghamSafe to drink.

Supplied by Severn Trent. 1,319 samples, 20 substances, latest on 29 December 2025. Everything is inside the legal limit, and nothing comes close to it.

See the filter we recommendSee everything that was tested

9.3 / 10

The tank is as full as the score.

What to do about it

ZeroWater 12-Cup Ready-Pour

ZeroWater 12-Cup Ready-Pour

£40typical price

Households concerned about PFAS and heavy metals

Check price at Amazon (opens in new tab)
Waterdrop 10UA Under Sink

Waterdrop 10UA Under Sink

£70typical price

High-volume under-sink filtration without RO complexity

Check price at Waterdrop (opens in new tab)
BRITA Marella XL + MAXTRA PRO

BRITA Marella XL + MAXTRA PRO

£25typical price

Basic chlorine and taste improvement on a budget

Check price at Amazon (opens in new tab)

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 B26 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.

Fluoride came closest to a limit, at 44% of it. 15 of 17 substances used under a quarter of theirs.

0%25%50%75%limitLegal limitCopper: 0.0018 mg/L, <1% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper<1%Selenium: 0.00007 mg/L, <1% of the 0.04 mg/L limitSelenium<1%Cadmium: 0.00002 mg/L, <1% of the 0.005 mg/L limitCadmium<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%Antimony: 0.000059 mg/L, 1% of the 0.005 mg/L limitAntimony1%Arsenic: 0.00014 mg/L, 1% of the 0.01 mg/L limitArsenic1%Lead: 0.00014 mg/L, 1% of the 0.01 mg/L limitLead1%Manganese: 0.00094 mg/L, 2% of the 0.05 mg/L limitManganese2%Turbidity: 0.12 NTU, 3% of the 4 NTU limitTurbidity3%Colour: 0.8 mg/L Pt/Co, 4% of the 20 mg/L Pt/Co limitColour4%Iron: 0.0128 mg/L, 6% of the 0.2 mg/L limitIron6%Nickel: 0.0015 mg/L, 8% of the 0.02 mg/L limitNickel8%Aluminium: 0.021 mg/L, 11% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium11%Nitrate: 5.8 mg/L, 12% of the 50 mg/L limitNitrate12%Trihalomethanes: 0.0296 mg/L, 30% of the 0.1 mg/L limitTrihalomethanes30%Fluoride: 0.66 mg/L, 44% of the 1.5 mg/L limitFluoride44%
  1. Fluoride44%
  2. Trihalomethanes30%
  3. Nitrate12%
  4. Aluminium11%
  5. Nickel8%
  6. Iron6%
  7. Colour4%
  8. Turbidity3%
  9. Manganese2%
  10. Arsenic1%
  11. Lead1%
  12. Antimony1%
  13. Chromium<1%
  14. Nitrite<1%
  15. Cadmium<1%
  16. Selenium<1%
  17. Copper<1%
  • pH 7.91 pH
  • Conductivity 117 µS/cm
  • Phosphate 0.52 mg/L
All 20 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Turbidity0.12 NTU4 NTU
3%
Manganese0.00094 mg/L0.05 mg/L
2%
Colour0.8 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
4%
Copper0.0018 mg/L2 mg/L
<1%
Fluoride0.66 mg/L1.5 mg/L
44%
Arsenic0.00014 mg/L0.01 mg/L
1%
Cadmium0.00002 mg/L0.005 mg/L
<1%
Chromium0.00042 mg/L0.05 mg/L
<1%
Nickel0.0015 mg/L0.02 mg/L
8%
Lead0.00014 mg/L0.01 mg/L
1%
Antimony0.000059 mg/L0.005 mg/L
1%
Selenium0.00007 mg/L0.04 mg/L
<1%
pH7.91 pHNo legal limit–
Nitrate5.8 mg/L50 mg/L
12%
Nitrite0.003 mg/L0.5 mg/L
<1%
Aluminium0.021 mg/L0.2 mg/L
11%
Iron0.0128 mg/L0.2 mg/L
6%
Conductivity117 µS/cmNo legal limit–
Trihalomethanes0.0296 mg/L0.1 mg/L
30%
Phosphate0.52 mg/LNo legal limit–
Outside your tap

Your river is the Hatchford-Kingshurst Brook from Source to R Cole, rated moderate

The Environment Agency rated the Hatchford-Kingshurst Brook from Source to R Cole 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, ammonia 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

Within 10 km

182

forever-chemical detections in nearby rivers and groundwater

At 10 sites. The highest was 6:2 FTSA at 0.025 µg/L, at River Tame - Downstream Minworth STW Bacteria Beds, 8.9 km away, in November 2024. These are river and borehole samples, not tests of your tap water.

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

B26 in short

Tap water in B26 (Birmingham) is supplied by Severn Trent in the Birmingham Central zone and scores 9.3 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 29 December 2025.

  • Fluoride is the reading closest to its limit, at 44% of the 1.5 mg/L maximumIt passed with room to spare, and everything else tested sat further below its limit. See every reading
  • 11th cleanest of 42 areas tested in BirminghamOnly 10 areas in Birmingham scored higher. The best is B2 on 9.6. Every area in Birmingham
  • PFAS found at 10 monitoring sites within 10 kmThose are river and groundwater samples, not tap water. The highest was 6:2 FTSA about 8.9 km away. What was measured

Next door

B39.3 out of 10B48.9 out of 10B58.9 out of 10B99.1 out of 10B109.3 out of 10B89.3 out of 10B119.3 out of 10B139.1 out of 10B159.2 out of 10B29.6 out of 10

Questions about B26 water

Is B26 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, B26 (Birmingham) water scores 9.3/10, which is safe. 0 of 20 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Severn Trent.

What contaminants are in B26 water?

We tested 20 contaminants in B26 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 B26?

B26 (Birmingham) 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 B26?

B26 water scored 9.3/10 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 B26 water?

The tap-water tests we hold for B26 do not include a PFAS result. Environment Agency monitoring found PFAS in 182 river and groundwater samples from 10 sites within 10 km of B26, the highest being 6:2 FTSA at 0.025 µg/L about 8.9 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 B26?

The Environment Agency rated the Hatchford-Kingshurst Brook from Source to R Cole 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, ammonia 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 B26, which is treated before it reaches homes.

Keep reading

PFAS explainedHow to test your waterBest water filtersFilter shower headsWater testing kitsAll of BirminghamUK water rankingsWater hardness checkerWater hardness map

River and groundwater readings near B26

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
Cadmium0.02 mg/L0.005 mg/L
Turbidity4.9 NTU4 NTU
pH7.91 pHNone
Temperature16.5 °CNone
Conductivity618 µS/cmNone
Nitrate0.77 mg/L50 mg/L
Nitrite0.021 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Phosphate0.34 mg/LNone
Dissolved Oxygen7.35 mg/LNone
Ammonia0.032 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Chromium0.00118 mg/L0.05 mg/L
Zinc0.013 mg/LNone
Nickel0.00328 mg/L0.02 mg/L
Aluminium0.0128 mg/L0.2 mg/L
Copper0.0048 mg/L2 mg/L

Get alerts for your area

We'll email you when water quality data changes for B26.

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