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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in B38, BirminghamSafe to drink.

Supplied by Severn Trent. 458 samples, 20 substances, latest on 23 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

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What's in a glass of B38 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 49% of it. 16 of 17 substances used under a quarter of theirs.

0%25%50%75%limitLegal limitSelenium: 0.00009 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%Manganese: 0.00076 mg/L, 2% of the 0.05 mg/L limitManganese2%Lead: 0.00027 mg/L, 3% of the 0.01 mg/L limitLead3%Copper: 0.0574 mg/L, 3% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper3%Turbidity: 0.12 NTU, 3% of the 4 NTU limitTurbidity3%Iron: 0.0075 mg/L, 4% of the 0.2 mg/L limitIron4%Colour: 0.8 mg/L Pt/Co, 4% of the 20 mg/L Pt/Co limitColour4%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: 0.0241 mg/L, 24% of the 0.1 mg/L limitTrihalomethanes24%Fluoride: 0.74 mg/L, 49% of the 1.5 mg/L limitFluoride49%
  1. Fluoride49%
  2. Trihalomethanes24%
  3. Nitrate12%
  4. Aluminium11%
  5. Nickel5%
  6. Colour4%
  7. Iron4%
  8. Turbidity3%
  9. Copper3%
  10. Lead3%
  11. Manganese2%
  12. Arsenic1%
  13. Antimony1%
  14. Chromium<1%
  15. Nitrite<1%
  16. Cadmium<1%
  17. Selenium<1%
  • pH 8.13 pH
  • Conductivity 129 µS/cm
  • Phosphate 0.559 mg/L
All 20 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Aluminium0.021 mg/L0.2 mg/L
11%
Iron0.0075 mg/L0.2 mg/L
4%
Manganese0.00076 mg/L0.05 mg/L
2%
pH8.13 pHNo legal limit–
Colour0.8 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
4%
Turbidity0.12 NTU4 NTU
3%
Nitrate5.8 mg/L50 mg/L
12%
Copper0.0574 mg/L2 mg/L
3%
Nitrite0.003 mg/L0.5 mg/L
<1%
Fluoride0.74 mg/L1.5 mg/L
49%
Arsenic0.00014 mg/L0.01 mg/L
1%
Cadmium0.00002 mg/L0.005 mg/L
<1%
Chromium0.00042 mg/L0.05 mg/L
<1%
Nickel0.001 mg/L0.02 mg/L
5%
Lead0.00027 mg/L0.01 mg/L
3%
Antimony0.000059 mg/L0.005 mg/L
1%
Selenium0.00009 mg/L0.04 mg/L
<1%
Trihalomethanes0.0241 mg/L0.1 mg/L
24%
Conductivity129 µS/cmNo legal limit–
Phosphate0.559 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

B38 in short

Tap water in B38 (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 23 December 2025.

  • Fluoride is the reading closest to its limit, at 49% of the 1.5 mg/L maximumIt passed with room to spare, and everything else tested sat further below its limit. See every reading
  • 18th cleanest of 42 areas tested in BirminghamSquarely mid-table for Birmingham, between B2 on 9.6 and B7 on 8.5. Every area in Birmingham
  • Scores higher than 5 of 10 neighbouring districtsWater here is typical for the immediate area, which usually means the same treatment works and the same supply zone.

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 B38 water

Is B38 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, B38 (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 B38 water?

We tested 20 contaminants in B38 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels.

Who supplies water in B38?

B38 (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 B38?

B38 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 B38 water?

No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for B38, 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 B38?

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 B38, which is treated before it reaches homes.

Keep reading

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

River and groundwater readings near B38

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
Temperature17.9 °CNone
Conductivity355 µS/cmNone
Ammonia0.18 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Phosphate0.14 mg/LNone
Dissolved Oxygen7.26 mg/LNone
Nitrate1.4 mg/L50 mg/L
Nitrite0.0073 mg/L0.5 mg/L

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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