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England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in B71, SandwellSafe to drink.

Supplied by Severn Trent. 50 samples, 20 substances, latest on 23 June 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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Basic chlorine and taste improvement on a budget

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What's in a glass of B71 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. 16 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: 0.0159 mg/L, <1% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper<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: 0.00096 mg/L, 2% of the 0.05 mg/L limitManganese2%Nitrite: 0.013 mg/L, 3% of the 0.5 mg/L limitNitrite3%Turbidity: 0.12 NTU, 3% of the 4 NTU limitTurbidity3%Iron: 0.0063 mg/L, 3% of the 0.2 mg/L limitIron3%Lead: 0.00039 mg/L, 4% of the 0.01 mg/L limitLead4%Colour: 0.8 mg/L Pt/Co, 4% of the 20 mg/L Pt/Co limitColour4%Nickel: 0.0012 mg/L, 6% of the 0.02 mg/L limitNickel6%Aluminium: 0.0154 mg/L, 8% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium8%Nitrate: 7.3 mg/L, 15% of the 50 mg/L limitNitrate15%Trihalomethanes: 0.02 mg/L, 20% of the 0.1 mg/L limitTrihalomethanes20%Fluoride: 0.77 mg/L, 51% of the 1.5 mg/L limitFluoride51%
  1. Fluoride51%
  2. Trihalomethanes20%
  3. Nitrate15%
  4. Aluminium8%
  5. Nickel6%
  6. Colour4%
  7. Lead4%
  8. Iron3%
  9. Turbidity3%
  10. Nitrite3%
  11. Manganese2%
  12. Arsenic1%
  13. Antimony1%
  14. Chromium<1%
  15. Copper<1%
  16. Cadmium<1%
  17. Selenium<1%
  • pH 8.52 pH
  • Conductivity 196 µS/cm
  • Phosphate 0.619 mg/L
All 20 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Colour0.8 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
4%
Turbidity0.12 NTU4 NTU
3%
Manganese0.00096 mg/L0.05 mg/L
2%
Copper0.0159 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%
Nickel0.0012 mg/L0.02 mg/L
6%
Lead0.00039 mg/L0.01 mg/L
4%
Antimony0.000059 mg/L0.005 mg/L
1%
Selenium0.00007 mg/L0.04 mg/L
<1%
pH8.52 pHNo legal limit–
Nitrate7.3 mg/L50 mg/L
15%
Nitrite0.013 mg/L0.5 mg/L
3%
Aluminium0.0154 mg/L0.2 mg/L
8%
Iron0.0063 mg/L0.2 mg/L
3%
Conductivity196 µS/cmNo legal limit–
Trihalomethanes0.02 mg/L0.1 mg/L
20%
Phosphate0.619 mg/LNo legal limit–
Outside your tap

Your river is the Tame (Oldbury Arm) - source to conf R Tame (Wton Arm), rated moderate

The Environment Agency rated the Tame (Oldbury Arm) - source to conf R Tame (Wton Arm) 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, fish and ammonia. 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

23

forever-chemical detections in nearby rivers and groundwater

At 5 sites. The highest was PFHxS (linear) at 0.0094 µg/L, at Sandwell Park Golf Club Borehole, West Bromwich, 3.0 km away, in September 2025. These are river and borehole samples, not tests of your tap water.

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

B71 in short

Tap water in B71 (Sandwell) is supplied by Severn Trent in the Sandwell 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 June 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
  • 6th cleanest of 10 areas tested in SandwellSquarely mid-table for Sandwell, between DY4 on 9.7 and B69 on 8.5.
  • PFAS found at 5 monitoring sites within 10 kmThose are river and groundwater samples, not tap water. The highest was PFHxS (linear) about 3 km away. What was measured

Next door

B669.3 out of 10B658.6 out of 10B689.6 out of 10B649.0 out of 10B439.3 out of 10B698.5 out of 10B708.9 out of 10DY49.7 out of 10WS109.4 out of 10

Also nearby: B67

Questions about B71 water

Is B71 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, B71 (Sandwell) 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 B71 water?

We tested 20 contaminants in B71 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 B71?

B71 (Sandwell) 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 B71?

B71 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 B71 water?

The tap-water tests we hold for B71 do not include a PFAS result. Environment Agency monitoring found PFAS in 23 river and groundwater samples from 5 sites within 10 km of B71, the highest being PFHxS (linear) at 0.0094 µg/L about 3 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 B71?

The Environment Agency rated the Tame (Oldbury Arm) - source to conf R Tame (Wton Arm) 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, fish and ammonia. 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 B71, which is treated before it reaches homes.

Keep reading

PFAS explainedHow to test your waterBest water filtersFilter shower headsWater testing kitsUK water rankingsWater hardness checkerWater hardness map

River and groundwater readings near B71

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
Nickel0.018 mg/L0.02 mg/L
pH7.7 pHNone
Temperature15.4 °CNone
Conductivity1106 µS/cmNone
Ammonia0.15 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Nitrate6.5 mg/L50 mg/L
Nitrite0.13 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Phosphate0.084 mg/LNone
Dissolved Oxygen8.66 mg/LNone
Hardness (as CaCO3)339 mg/LNone
Zinc0.014 mg/LNone
Iron0.052 mg/L0.2 mg/L
Copper0.00964 mg/L2 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