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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in B30, BirminghamSafe to drink.

Supplied by Severn Trent. 726 samples, 20 substances, latest on 22 December 2025. Everything is inside the legal limit, and nothing comes close to it.

See the filter we recommendSee everything that was tested

9.2 / 10

The tank is as full as the score.

What to do about it

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Households concerned about PFAS and heavy metals

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High-volume under-sink filtration without RO complexity

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Basic chlorine and taste improvement on a budget

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What's in a glass of B30 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 51% of it. 15 of 17 substances used under a quarter of theirs.

0%25%50%75%limitLegal limitSelenium: 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%Copper: 0.0187 mg/L, <1% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper<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: 0.00015 mg/L, 1% of the 0.01 mg/L limitLead1%Manganese: 0.00122 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: 0.009 mg/L, 5% of the 0.2 mg/L limitIron5%Nickel: 0.0013 mg/L, 7% of the 0.02 mg/L limitNickel7%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: 0.0394 mg/L, 39% of the 0.1 mg/L limitTrihalomethanes39%Fluoride: 0.77 mg/L, 51% of the 1.5 mg/L limitFluoride51%
  1. Fluoride51%
  2. Trihalomethanes39%
  3. Nitrate12%
  4. Aluminium11%
  5. Nickel7%
  6. Iron5%
  7. Colour4%
  8. Turbidity3%
  9. Manganese2%
  10. Lead1%
  11. Arsenic1%
  12. Antimony1%
  13. Copper<1%
  14. Chromium<1%
  15. Nitrite<1%
  16. Cadmium<1%
  17. Selenium<1%
  • pH 8.22 pH
  • Conductivity 129 µS/cm
  • Phosphate 0.563 mg/L
All 20 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Aluminium0.021 mg/L0.2 mg/L
11%
Iron0.009 mg/L0.2 mg/L
5%
Colour0.8 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
4%
pH8.22 pHNo legal limit–
Manganese0.00122 mg/L0.05 mg/L
2%
Turbidity0.12 NTU4 NTU
3%
Conductivity129 µS/cmNo legal limit–
Nitrate5.8 mg/L50 mg/L
12%
Nitrite0.003 mg/L0.5 mg/L
<1%
Copper0.0187 mg/L2 mg/L
<1%
Fluoride0.77 mg/L1.5 mg/L
51%
Arsenic0.00014 mg/L0.01 mg/L
1%
Cadmium0.00002 mg/L0.005 mg/L
<1%
Chromium0.00042 mg/L0.05 mg/L
<1%
Nickel0.0013 mg/L0.02 mg/L
7%
Lead0.00015 mg/L0.01 mg/L
1%
Trihalomethanes0.0394 mg/L0.1 mg/L
39%
Antimony0.000059 mg/L0.005 mg/L
1%
Selenium0.00007 mg/L0.04 mg/L
<1%
Phosphate0.563 mg/LNo legal limit–
Outside your tap

Your river is the Rea source to Bourn Brook, rated poor

The Environment Agency rated the Rea source to Bourn Brook 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 fish, water plants and algae and insects and other small river life. 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

2

forever-chemical detections in nearby rivers and groundwater

At 1 site. The highest was PFecHS at 0.0013 µg/L, at Smurfit Kappa B/H2 St Clements Road, Nechells F54/23, 9.2 km away, in December 2025. These are river and borehole samples, not tests of your tap water.

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

B30 in short

Tap water in B30 (Birmingham) is supplied by Severn Trent in the Birmingham Central zone and scores 9.2 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 22 December 2025.

  • Fluoride is the reading closest to its limit, at 51% of the 1.5 mg/L maximumIt passed with room to spare, and everything else tested sat further below its limit. See every reading
  • 32nd cleanest of 42 areas tested in Birmingham10 areas in Birmingham scored lower. The best is B2 on 9.6. Every area in Birmingham
  • PFAS found at 1 monitoring site within 10 kmThose are river and groundwater samples, not tap water. The highest was PFecHS about 9.2 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 B30 water

Is B30 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, B30 (Birmingham) water scores 9.2/10, which is safe. 0 of 20 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Severn Trent.

What contaminants are in B30 water?

We tested 20 contaminants in B30 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 B30?

B30 (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 B30?

B30 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 B30 water?

The tap-water tests we hold for B30 do not include a PFAS result. Environment Agency monitoring found PFAS in 2 river and groundwater samples from 1 sites within 10 km of B30, the highest being PFecHS at 0.0013 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 B30?

The Environment Agency rated the Rea source to Bourn Brook 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 fish, water plants and algae and insects and other small river life. 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 B30, 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 B30

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
pH7.85 pHNone
Temperature12.5 °CNone
Conductivity322 µS/cmNone
Nitrate1.2 mg/L50 mg/L
Nitrite0.041 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Phosphate0.077 mg/LNone
Dissolved Oxygen10.2 mg/LNone
Ammonia0.075 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Copper0.0045 mg/L2 mg/L
Zinc0.0091 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