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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in BN17, ArunSafe to drink.

Supplied by Southern Water. 20,095 samples, 25 substances, latest on 30 April 2026. Everything is inside the legal limit, and nothing comes close to it.

See the filter we recommendSee everything that was tested

9.4 / 10

The tank is as full as the score.

What to do about it

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What's in a glass of BN17 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 68% 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: 0.000044 mg/L, <1% of the 0.005 mg/L limitAntimony<1%Lead: 0.00009 mg/L, <1% of the 0.01 mg/L limitLead<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%Copper: 0.0277 mg/L, 1% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper1%Boron: 0.0145 mg/L, 1% of the 1 mg/L limitBoron1%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: 0.07 mg/L, 5% of the 1.5 mg/L limitFluoride5%Aluminium: 0.0113 mg/L, 6% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium6%Nickel: 0.00142 mg/L, 7% of the 0.02 mg/L limitNickel7%Ammonia: 0.039 mg/L, 8% of the 0.5 mg/L limitAmmonia8%Trihalomethanes: 0.00819 mg/L, 8% of the 0.1 mg/L limitTrihalomethanes8%Colour: 3 mg/L Pt/Co, 15% of the 20 mg/L Pt/Co limitColour15%Nitrate: 33.8 mg/L, 68% of the 50 mg/L limitNitrate68%
  1. Nitrate68%
  2. Colour15%
  3. Trihalomethanes8%
  4. Ammonia8%
  5. Nickel7%
  6. Aluminium6%
  7. Fluoride5%
  8. Iron5%
  9. Mercury4%
  10. Manganese4%
  11. Turbidity3%
  12. Arsenic2%
  13. Nitrite2%
  14. Boron1%
  15. Copper1%
  16. Bromate1%
  17. Selenium1%
  18. Lead<1%
  19. Antimony<1%
  20. Cadmium<1%
  21. Chromium<1%
  • E. coli none found
  • Conductivity 537 µS/cm
  • Coliform Bacteria none found
  • pH 7.5 pH
All 25 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
E. coli0 count/100mlMust be zeroNone found
Conductivity537 µS/cmNo legal limit–
Nitrate33.8 mg/L50 mg/L
68%
Lead0.00009 mg/L0.01 mg/L
<1%
Coliform Bacteria0 count/100mlMust be zeroNone found
Colour3 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
15%
Turbidity0.13 NTU4 NTU
3%
pH7.5 pHNo legal limit–
Aluminium0.0113 mg/L0.2 mg/L
6%
Iron0.00928 mg/L0.2 mg/L
5%
Manganese0.00178 mg/L0.05 mg/L
4%
Trihalomethanes0.00819 mg/L0.1 mg/L
8%
Nitrite0.009 mg/L0.5 mg/L
2%
Antimony0.000044 mg/L0.005 mg/L
<1%
Selenium0.00043 mg/L0.04 mg/L
1%
Ammonia0.039 mg/L0.5 mg/L
8%
Copper0.0277 mg/L2 mg/L
1%
Arsenic0.0002 mg/L0.01 mg/L
2%
Cadmium0.000031 mg/L0.005 mg/L
<1%
Chromium0.00019 mg/L0.05 mg/L
<1%
Nickel0.00142 mg/L0.02 mg/L
7%
Fluoride0.07 mg/L1.5 mg/L
5%
Mercury0.00004 mg/L0.001 mg/L
4%
Boron0.0145 mg/L1 mg/L
1%
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

BN17 in short

Tap water in BN17 (Arun) is supplied by Southern Water in the Arun Central zone and scores 9.4 out of 10, against an England and Wales average of 9.0. None of the 25 tested substances came close to a limit. The latest sample is from 30 April 2026.

  • The cleanest tap water of the 5 areas tested in ArunBN17 scores 9.4 out of 10, ahead of BN18 in second place on 9.4.
  • Nitrate is the reading closest to its limit, at 68% of the 50 mg/L maximumIt passed with room to spare, and everything else tested sat further below its limit. See every reading
  • Scores higher than 3 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

BN169.3 out of 10BN189.4 out of 10PO219.0 out of 10PO229.3 out of 10

Questions about BN17 water

Is BN17 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, BN17 (Arun) water scores 9.4/10, which is safe. 0 of 25 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Southern Water.

What contaminants are in BN17 water?

We tested 25 contaminants in BN17 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels.

Who supplies water in BN17?

BN17 (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 BN17?

BN17 water scored 9.4/10 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 BN17 water?

No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for BN17, 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 BN17?

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 BN17, which is treated before it reaches homes.

Keep reading

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

River and groundwater readings near BN17

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

Get alerts for your area

We'll email you when water quality data changes for BN17.

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