Skip to main content
tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in BN12, WorthingSafe to drink.

Supplied by Southern Water. 19,476 samples, 25 substances, latest on 30 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 BN12.

Check price at Waterdrop (opens in new tab)

Osmio PRO-III Ultimate Whole House

£499typical price

Removes nitrate, the result that stood out in BN12.

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 BN12.

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 BN12 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. 20 of 21 substances used under a quarter of theirs.

0%25%50%75%limitLegal limitCopper: 0.0144 mg/L, <1% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper<1%Nitrite: 0.004 mg/L, <1% of the 0.5 mg/L limitNitrite<1%Lead: 0.0001 mg/L, 1% of the 0.01 mg/L limitLead1%Selenium: 0.0005 mg/L, 1% of the 0.04 mg/L limitSelenium1%Chromium: 0.001 mg/L, 2% of the 0.05 mg/L limitChromium2%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%Boron: 0.04 mg/L, 4% of the 1 mg/L limitBoron4%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%Fluoride: 0.08 mg/L, 5% of the 1.5 mg/L limitFluoride5%Bromate: 0.00055 mg/L, 6% of the 0.01 mg/L limitBromate6%Aluminium: 0.0113 mg/L, 6% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium6%Trihalomethanes: 0.00595 mg/L, 6% of the 0.1 mg/L limitTrihalomethanes6%Antimony: 0.0003 mg/L, 6% of the 0.005 mg/L limitAntimony6%Ammonia: 0.039 mg/L, 8% of the 0.5 mg/L limitAmmonia8%Arsenic: 0.001 mg/L, 10% of the 0.01 mg/L limitArsenic10%Nickel: 0.0021 mg/L, 11% of the 0.02 mg/L limitNickel11%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. Nickel11%
  4. Arsenic10%
  5. Ammonia8%
  6. Antimony6%
  7. Trihalomethanes6%
  8. Aluminium6%
  9. Bromate6%
  10. Fluoride5%
  11. Iron5%
  12. Boron4%
  13. Mercury4%
  14. Manganese4%
  15. Turbidity3%
  16. Cadmium2%
  17. Chromium2%
  18. Selenium1%
  19. Lead1%
  20. Nitrite<1%
  21. Copper<1%
  • pH 7.4 pH
  • Coliform Bacteria none found
  • E. coli none found
  • Conductivity 577 µS/cm
All 25 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Nitrate39 mg/L50 mg/L
78%
Colour3 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
15%
Turbidity0.13 NTU4 NTU
3%
pH7.4 pHNo legal limit–
Lead0.0001 mg/L0.01 mg/L
1%
Coliform Bacteria0 count/100mlMust be zeroNone found
E. coli0 count/100mlMust be zeroNone found
Conductivity577 µS/cmNo legal limit–
Iron0.00928 mg/L0.2 mg/L
5%
Ammonia0.039 mg/L0.5 mg/L
8%
Aluminium0.0113 mg/L0.2 mg/L
6%
Manganese0.00178 mg/L0.05 mg/L
4%
Copper0.0144 mg/L2 mg/L
<1%
Bromate0.00055 mg/L0.01 mg/L
6%
Nitrite0.004 mg/L0.5 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%
Nickel0.0021 mg/L0.02 mg/L
11%
Antimony0.0003 mg/L0.005 mg/L
6%
Selenium0.0005 mg/L0.04 mg/L
1%
Trihalomethanes0.00595 mg/L0.1 mg/L
6%
Boron0.04 mg/L1 mg/L
4%
Fluoride0.08 mg/L1.5 mg/L
5%
Mercury0.00004 mg/L0.001 mg/L
4%
Outside your tap

Your river is the Ferring Rife, rated good

The Environment Agency rated the Ferring Rife as good for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is only slightly changed from its natural state. 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 improved since the previous assessment.

None of this is a test of your tap water. Environment Agency record · River health across England

BN12 in short

Tap water in BN12 (Worthing) is supplied by Southern Water in the Worthing Central zone and scores 9.3 out of 10, against an England and Wales average of 9.0. 1 of 25 tested substances was close to or over a limit. The latest sample is from 30 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
  • 2nd cleanest of 4 areas tested in WorthingOnly 1 area in Worthing scored higher. The best is BN11 on 9.3.
  • Scores higher than 1 of 3 neighbouring districtsWater here is typical for the immediate area, which usually means the same treatment works and the same supply zone.

Next door

BN149.0 out of 10BN139.3 out of 10BN119.3 out of 10

Questions about BN12 water

Is BN12 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, BN12 (Worthing) water scores 9.3/10, which is safe. 1 of 25 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Southern Water.

What contaminants are in BN12 water?

We tested 25 contaminants in BN12 water. 1 were flagged, including Nitrate.

Who supplies water in BN12?

BN12 (Worthing) 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 BN12?

With 1 contaminant above recommended levels in BN12, a water filter could help. A filter jug or under-sink filter can reduce most common contaminants. See our filter recommendations for your area.

Are there PFAS forever chemicals in BN12 water?

No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for BN12, 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 BN12?

The Environment Agency rated the Ferring Rife as good for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is only slightly changed from its natural state. 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 improved since the previous assessment. This is a rating of the river, not of tap water in BN12, which is treated before it reaches homes.

Keep reading

Nitrate levelsHow to test your waterBest water filtersFilter shower headsWater testing kitsUK water rankingsWater hardness checkerWater hardness map

River and groundwater readings near BN12

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
pH7.55 pHNone
Temperature13.9 °CNone
Conductivity546 µS/cmNone
Nitrate9.6 mg/L50 mg/L
Phosphate0.018 mg/LNone
Dissolved Oxygen9.4 mg/LNone
Ammonia0.07 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Nitrite0.035 mg/L0.5 mg/L

Get alerts for your area

We'll email you when water quality data changes for BN12.

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