Skip to main content
tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in BN1, Brighton and HoveSafe to drink.

Supplied by Southern Water. 12,956 samples, 23 substances, latest on 28 April 2026. Everything is inside the legal limit. One result, nitrate, sits close to the line.

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

Waterdrop G3P600 Reverse Osmosis

Waterdrop G3P600 Reverse Osmosis

£550typical price

Removes nitrate, the result that stood out in BN1.

Check price at Waterdrop (opens in new tab)

Osmio PRO-III Ultimate Whole House

£499typical price

Removes nitrate, the result that stood out in BN1.

Check price at Osmio (opens in new tab)
ZeroWater 12-Cup Ready-Pour

ZeroWater 12-Cup Ready-Pour

£40typical price

Removes nitrate, the result that stood out in BN1.

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 BN1 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.

Nitrate came closest to a limit, at 78% of it. 18 of 19 substances used under a quarter of theirs.

0%25%50%75%limitLegal limitNitrite: 0.004 mg/L, <1% of the 0.5 mg/L limitNitrite<1%Lead: 0.00009 mg/L, <1% of the 0.01 mg/L limitLead<1%Bromate: 0.00013 mg/L, 1% of the 0.01 mg/L limitBromate1%Copper: 0.0282 mg/L, 1% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper1%Chromium: 0.001 mg/L, 2% of the 0.05 mg/L limitChromium2%Selenium: 0.0008 mg/L, 2% of the 0.04 mg/L limitSelenium2%Cadmium: 0.00012 mg/L, 2% of the 0.005 mg/L limitCadmium2%Turbidity: 0.13 NTU, 3% of the 4 NTU limitTurbidity3%Manganese: 0.00178 mg/L, 4% of the 0.05 mg/L limitManganese4%Antimony: 0.0002 mg/L, 4% of the 0.005 mg/L limitAntimony4%Mercury: 0.00004 mg/L, 4% of the 0.001 mg/L limitMercury4%Iron: 0.00928 mg/L, 5% of the 0.2 mg/L limitIron5%Ammonia: 0.025 mg/L, 5% of the 0.5 mg/L limitAmmonia5%Nickel: 0.0011 mg/L, 6% of the 0.02 mg/L limitNickel6%Aluminium: 0.0113 mg/L, 6% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium6%Trihalomethanes: 0.00603 mg/L, 6% of the 0.1 mg/L limitTrihalomethanes6%Arsenic: 0.001 mg/L, 10% of the 0.01 mg/L limitArsenic10%Colour: 3 mg/L Pt/Co, 15% of the 20 mg/L Pt/Co limitColour15%Nitrate: 39 mg/L, 78% of the 50 mg/L limitNitrate78%
  1. Nitrate78%
  2. Colour15%
  3. Arsenic10%
  4. Trihalomethanes6%
  5. Aluminium6%
  6. Nickel6%
  7. Ammonia5%
  8. Iron5%
  9. Antimony4%
  10. Mercury4%
  11. Manganese4%
  12. Turbidity3%
  13. Cadmium2%
  14. Chromium2%
  15. Selenium2%
  16. Copper1%
  17. Bromate1%
  18. Lead<1%
  19. Nitrite<1%
  • Coliform Bacteria none found
  • E. coli none found
  • Conductivity 606 µS/cm
  • pH 8 pH
All 23 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Nitrate39 mg/L50 mg/L
78%
Coliform Bacteria0 count/100mlMust be zeroNone found
E. coli0 count/100mlMust be zeroNone found
Conductivity606 µS/cmNo legal limit–
pH8 pHNo legal limit–
Lead0.00009 mg/L0.01 mg/L
<1%
Colour3 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
15%
Turbidity0.13 NTU4 NTU
3%
Aluminium0.0113 mg/L0.2 mg/L
6%
Iron0.00928 mg/L0.2 mg/L
5%
Manganese0.00178 mg/L0.05 mg/L
4%
Nitrite0.004 mg/L0.5 mg/L
<1%
Ammonia0.025 mg/L0.5 mg/L
5%
Copper0.0282 mg/L2 mg/L
1%
Arsenic0.001 mg/L0.01 mg/L
10%
Cadmium0.00012 mg/L0.005 mg/L
2%
Chromium0.001 mg/L0.05 mg/L
2%
Nickel0.0011 mg/L0.02 mg/L
6%
Antimony0.0002 mg/L0.005 mg/L
4%
Selenium0.0008 mg/L0.04 mg/L
2%
Trihalomethanes0.00603 mg/L0.1 mg/L
6%
Bromate0.00013 mg/L0.01 mg/L
1%
Mercury0.00004 mg/L0.001 mg/L
4%
Outside your tap

Your coastal water is the Sussex, rated moderate

The Environment Agency rated the Sussex as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the coastal water is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. 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

7

forever-chemical detections in nearby rivers and groundwater

At 1 site. The highest was PFBA at 0.0037 µg/L, at Brighton College, Ground Source Heat Pump, 2.7 km away, in October 2025. These are river and borehole samples, not tests of your tap water.

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

BN1 in short

Tap water in BN1 (Brighton and Hove) is supplied by Southern Water in the Brighton and Hove Central zone and scores 9.3 out of 10, against an England and Wales average of 9.0. 1 of 23 tested substances was close to or over a limit. The latest sample is from 28 April 2026.

  • Nitrate is within its legal limit but flagged, at 78% of the 50 mg/L maximumAnything over three quarters of a limit is flagged here as worth watching. It has not gone over. See every reading
  • The cleanest tap water of the 4 areas tested in BrightonBN1 scores 9.3 out of 10, ahead of BN2 in second place on 9.3. Every area in Brighton
  • PFAS found at 1 monitoring site within 10 kmThose are river and groundwater samples, not tap water. The highest was PFBA about 2.7 km away. What was measured

Next door

BN29.3 out of 10BN39.3 out of 10BN419.2 out of 10

Questions about BN1 water

Is BN1 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, BN1 (Brighton and Hove) water scores 9.3/10, which is safe. 1 of 23 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Southern Water.

What contaminants are in BN1 water?

We tested 23 contaminants in BN1 water. 1 were flagged, including Nitrate. 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 BN1?

BN1 (Brighton and Hove) is supplied by Southern Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.

Should I use a water filter in BN1?

With 1 contaminant above recommended levels in BN1, a water filter could help. A reverse osmosis or activated carbon filter is recommended for PFAS removal. See our filter recommendations for your area.

Are there PFAS forever chemicals in BN1 water?

The tap-water tests we hold for BN1 do not include a PFAS result. Environment Agency monitoring found PFAS in 7 river and groundwater samples from 1 sites within 10 km of BN1, the highest being PFBA at 0.0037 µg/L about 2.7 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 coastal water near BN1?

The Environment Agency rated the Sussex as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the coastal water is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. 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 coastal water, not of tap water in BN1, which is treated before it reaches homes.

Keep reading

PFAS explainedNitrate levelsHow to test your waterBest water filtersFilter shower headsWater testing kitsAll of BrightonUK water rankingsWater hardness checkerWater hardness map

River and groundwater readings near BN1

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
Ammonia0.056 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Nitrate15 mg/L50 mg/L
Nitrite0.15 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Phosphate0.015 mg/LNone
pH0.21 pHNone
Dissolved Oxygen5.95 mg/LNone

Get alerts for your area

We'll email you when water quality data changes for BN1.

Source: Southern Water 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