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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in BN16, ArunSafe to drink.

Supplied by Southern Water. 18,315 samples, 25 substances, latest on 27 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 BN16.

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Osmio PRO-III Ultimate Whole House

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Removes nitrate, the result that stood out in BN16.

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ZeroWater 12-Cup Ready-Pour

ZeroWater 12-Cup Ready-Pour

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Removes nitrate, the result that stood out in BN16.

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What's in a glass of BN16 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 77% of it. 20 of 21 substances used under a quarter of theirs.

0%25%50%75%limitLegal limitChromium: 0.00019 mg/L, <1% of the 0.05 mg/L limitChromium<1%Cadmium: 0.000031 mg/L, <1% of the 0.005 mg/L limitCadmium<1%Antimony: 0.000042 mg/L, <1% of the 0.005 mg/L limitAntimony<1%Selenium: 0.00043 mg/L, 1% of the 0.04 mg/L limitSelenium1%Bromate: 0.00013 mg/L, 1% of the 0.01 mg/L limitBromate1%Boron: 0.0175 mg/L, 2% of the 1 mg/L limitBoron2%Nitrite: 0.009 mg/L, 2% of the 0.5 mg/L limitNitrite2%Arsenic: 0.0002 mg/L, 2% of the 0.01 mg/L limitArsenic2%Turbidity: 0.13 NTU, 3% of the 4 NTU limitTurbidity3%Manganese: 0.00178 mg/L, 4% of the 0.05 mg/L limitManganese4%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%Aluminium: 0.0113 mg/L, 6% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium6%Lead: 0.00061 mg/L, 6% of the 0.01 mg/L limitLead6%Ammonia: 0.039 mg/L, 8% of the 0.5 mg/L limitAmmonia8%Nickel: 0.0016 mg/L, 8% of the 0.02 mg/L limitNickel8%Copper: 0.212 mg/L, 11% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper11%Trihalomethanes: 0.0116 mg/L, 12% of the 0.1 mg/L limitTrihalomethanes12%Colour: 3 mg/L Pt/Co, 15% of the 20 mg/L Pt/Co limitColour15%Nitrate: 38.4 mg/L, 77% of the 50 mg/L limitNitrate77%
  1. Nitrate77%
  2. Colour15%
  3. Trihalomethanes12%
  4. Copper11%
  5. Nickel8%
  6. Ammonia8%
  7. Lead6%
  8. Aluminium6%
  9. Fluoride5%
  10. Iron5%
  11. Mercury4%
  12. Manganese4%
  13. Turbidity3%
  14. Arsenic2%
  15. Nitrite2%
  16. Boron2%
  17. Bromate1%
  18. Selenium1%
  19. Antimony<1%
  20. Cadmium<1%
  21. Chromium<1%
  • pH 7.4 pH
  • Coliform Bacteria none found
  • E. coli none found
  • Conductivity 587 µS/cm
All 25 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Nitrate38.4 mg/L50 mg/L
77%
pH7.4 pHNo legal limit–
Nitrite0.009 mg/L0.5 mg/L
2%
Ammonia0.039 mg/L0.5 mg/L
8%
Aluminium0.0113 mg/L0.2 mg/L
6%
Iron0.00928 mg/L0.2 mg/L
5%
Manganese0.00178 mg/L0.05 mg/L
4%
Copper0.212 mg/L2 mg/L
11%
Arsenic0.0002 mg/L0.01 mg/L
2%
Cadmium0.000031 mg/L0.005 mg/L
<1%
Chromium0.00019 mg/L0.05 mg/L
<1%
Nickel0.0016 mg/L0.02 mg/L
8%
Lead0.00061 mg/L0.01 mg/L
6%
Antimony0.000042 mg/L0.005 mg/L
<1%
Selenium0.00043 mg/L0.04 mg/L
1%
Coliform Bacteria0 count/100mlMust be zeroNone found
E. coli0 count/100mlMust be zeroNone found
Conductivity587 µS/cmNo legal limit–
Trihalomethanes0.0116 mg/L0.1 mg/L
12%
Colour3 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
15%
Turbidity0.13 NTU4 NTU
3%
Fluoride0.08 mg/L1.5 mg/L
5%
Mercury0.00004 mg/L0.001 mg/L
4%
Boron0.0175 mg/L1 mg/L
2%
Bromate0.00013 mg/L0.01 mg/L
1%
Outside your tap

Your river is the Black Ditch (W Sussex), rated poor

The Environment Agency rated the Black Ditch (W Sussex) 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 and water plants and algae. 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

BN16 in short

Tap water in BN16 (Arun) is supplied by Southern Water in the Arun 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 27 April 2026.

  • Nitrate is within its legal limit but flagged, at 77% 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
  • 3rd cleanest of 5 areas tested in ArunSquarely mid-table for Arun, between BN17 on 9.4 and PO21 on 9.
  • Scores higher than 1 of 4 neighbouring districtsWater here is typical for the immediate area, which usually means the same treatment works and the same supply zone.

Next door

BN179.4 out of 10BN189.4 out of 10PO219.0 out of 10PO229.3 out of 10

Questions about BN16 water

Is BN16 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, BN16 (Arun) 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 BN16 water?

We tested 25 contaminants in BN16 water. 1 were flagged, including Nitrate.

Who supplies water in BN16?

BN16 (Arun) 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 BN16?

With 1 contaminant above recommended levels in BN16, 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 BN16 water?

No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for BN16, 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 BN16?

The Environment Agency rated the Black Ditch (W Sussex) 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 and water plants and algae. 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 BN16, 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 BN16

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
pH7.53 pHNone
Temperature13 °CNone
Conductivity768 µS/cmNone
Ammonia0.07 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Nitrate8.5 mg/L50 mg/L
Nitrite0.035 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Phosphate0.043 mg/LNone
Dissolved Oxygen9.96 mg/LNone
Hardness (as CaCO3)373 mg/LNone
Fluoride0.114 mg/L1.5 mg/L
Chromium0.0023 mg/L0.05 mg/L
Boron0.108 mg/L1 mg/L
Copper0.0053 mg/L2 mg/L
Zinc0.0101 mg/LNone

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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