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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in B35, BirminghamSafe to drink.

Supplied by Severn Trent. 236 samples, 20 substances, latest on 19 December 2025. Everything is inside the legal limit, and nothing comes close to it.

See the filter we recommendSee everything that was tested

9.1 / 10

The tank is as full as the score.

What to do about it

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What's in a glass of B35 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 54% 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%Copper: 0.0104 mg/L, <1% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper<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: 0.00073 mg/L, 1% of the 0.05 mg/L limitManganese1%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: 0.0082 mg/L, 4% of the 0.2 mg/L limitIron4%Nickel: 0.001 mg/L, 5% of the 0.02 mg/L limitNickel5%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: 0.0468 mg/L, 47% of the 0.1 mg/L limitTrihalomethanes47%Fluoride: 0.81 mg/L, 54% of the 1.5 mg/L limitFluoride54%
  1. Fluoride54%
  2. Trihalomethanes47%
  3. Nitrate12%
  4. Aluminium11%
  5. Nickel5%
  6. Iron4%
  7. Colour4%
  8. Turbidity3%
  9. Manganese1%
  10. Arsenic1%
  11. Lead1%
  12. Antimony1%
  13. Chromium<1%
  14. Nitrite<1%
  15. Copper<1%
  16. Cadmium<1%
  17. Selenium<1%
  • pH 8.09 pH
  • Conductivity 149 µS/cm
  • Phosphate 0.575 mg/L
All 20 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Manganese0.00073 mg/L0.05 mg/L
1%
Copper0.0104 mg/L2 mg/L
<1%
Fluoride0.81 mg/L1.5 mg/L
54%
Arsenic0.00014 mg/L0.01 mg/L
1%
Cadmium0.00002 mg/L0.005 mg/L
<1%
Colour0.8 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
4%
Chromium0.00042 mg/L0.05 mg/L
<1%
Nickel0.001 mg/L0.02 mg/L
5%
Lead0.00014 mg/L0.01 mg/L
1%
Antimony0.000059 mg/L0.005 mg/L
1%
Selenium0.00007 mg/L0.04 mg/L
<1%
Aluminium0.021 mg/L0.2 mg/L
11%
Iron0.0082 mg/L0.2 mg/L
4%
pH8.09 pHNo legal limit–
Turbidity0.12 NTU4 NTU
3%
Nitrate5.8 mg/L50 mg/L
12%
Nitrite0.003 mg/L0.5 mg/L
<1%
Conductivity149 µS/cmNo legal limit–
Trihalomethanes0.0468 mg/L0.1 mg/L
47%
Phosphate0.575 mg/LNo legal limit–
Outside your tap

Your river is the Plants Brook Catchment (trib of Tame), rated moderate

The Environment Agency rated the Plants Brook Catchment (trib of Tame) as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by 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

116

forever-chemical detections in nearby rivers and groundwater

At 8 sites. The highest was 6:2 FTSA at 0.025 µg/L, at River Tame - Downstream Minworth STW Bacteria Beds, 6.1 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

B35 in short

Tap water in B35 (Birmingham) is supplied by Severn Trent in the Birmingham Central zone and scores 9.1 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 19 December 2025.

  • 36th cleanest of 42 areas tested in Birmingham6 areas in Birmingham scored lower. The best is B2 on 9.6. Every area in Birmingham
  • Fluoride is the reading closest to its limit, at 54% of the 1.5 mg/L maximumIt passed with room to spare, and everything else tested sat further below its limit. See every reading
  • PFAS found at 8 monitoring sites within 10 kmThose are river and groundwater samples, not tap water. The highest was 6:2 FTSA about 6.1 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 B35 water

Is B35 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, B35 (Birmingham) water scores 9.1/10, which is safe. 0 of 20 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Severn Trent.

What contaminants are in B35 water?

We tested 20 contaminants in B35 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 B35?

B35 (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 B35?

B35 water scored 9.1/10 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 B35 water?

The tap-water tests we hold for B35 do not include a PFAS result. Environment Agency monitoring found PFAS in 116 river and groundwater samples from 8 sites within 10 km of B35, the highest being 6:2 FTSA at 0.025 µg/L about 6.1 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 B35?

The Environment Agency rated the Plants Brook Catchment (trib of Tame) as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by 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 B35, 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 B35

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
Nickel0.0274 mg/L0.02 mg/L
pH7.92 pHNone
Temperature9.4 °CNone
Conductivity1028 µS/cmNone
Ammonia0.24 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Nitrate7.2 mg/L50 mg/L
Nitrite0.11 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Phosphate0.069 mg/LNone
Dissolved Oxygen9.37 mg/LNone
Copper0.0051 mg/L2 mg/L
Zinc0.0583 mg/LNone
Cadmium0.00013 mg/L0.005 mg/L
Hardness (as CaCO3)334 mg/LNone
Chromium0.0053 mg/L0.05 mg/L
Arsenic0.0024 mg/L0.01 mg/L

Get alerts for your area

We'll email you when water quality data changes for B35.

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