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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in BN2, Brighton and HoveSafe to drink.

Supplied by Southern Water. 18,442 samples, 22 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 BN2.

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Osmio PRO-III Ultimate Whole House

£499typical price

Removes nitrate, the result that stood out in BN2.

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 BN2.

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What's in a glass of BN2 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 80% of it. 17 of 18 substances used under a quarter of theirs.

0%25%50%75%limitLegal limitCadmium: 0.000031 mg/L, <1% of the 0.005 mg/L limitCadmium<1%Chromium: 0.00033 mg/L, <1% of the 0.05 mg/L limitChromium<1%Antimony: 0.000036 mg/L, <1% of the 0.005 mg/L limitAntimony<1%Selenium: 0.00043 mg/L, 1% of the 0.04 mg/L limitSelenium1%Arsenic: 0.00016 mg/L, 2% of the 0.01 mg/L limitArsenic2%Nitrite: 0.009 mg/L, 2% of the 0.5 mg/L limitNitrite2%Lead: 0.00027 mg/L, 3% of the 0.01 mg/L limitLead3%Turbidity: 0.13 NTU, 3% of the 4 NTU limitTurbidity3%Manganese: 0.00178 mg/L, 4% of the 0.05 mg/L limitManganese4%Nickel: 0.0009 mg/L, 5% of the 0.02 mg/L limitNickel5%Iron: 0.00928 mg/L, 5% of the 0.2 mg/L limitIron5%Copper: 0.0951 mg/L, 5% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper5%Ammonia: 0.025 mg/L, 5% of the 0.5 mg/L limitAmmonia5%Aluminium: 0.0113 mg/L, 6% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium6%Trihalomethanes: 0.00903 mg/L, 9% of the 0.1 mg/L limitTrihalomethanes9%Bromate: 0.00101 mg/L, 10% of the 0.01 mg/L limitBromate10%Colour: 3 mg/L Pt/Co, 15% of the 20 mg/L Pt/Co limitColour15%Nitrate: 39.8 mg/L, 80% of the 50 mg/L limitNitrate80%
  1. Nitrate80%
  2. Colour15%
  3. Bromate10%
  4. Trihalomethanes9%
  5. Aluminium6%
  6. Ammonia5%
  7. Copper5%
  8. Iron5%
  9. Nickel5%
  10. Manganese4%
  11. Turbidity3%
  12. Lead3%
  13. Nitrite2%
  14. Arsenic2%
  15. Selenium1%
  16. Antimony<1%
  17. Chromium<1%
  18. Cadmium<1%
  • pH 7.6 pH
  • Coliform Bacteria none found
  • E. coli none found
  • Conductivity 556 µS/cm
All 22 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Nitrate39.8 mg/L50 mg/L
80%
Colour3 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
15%
Turbidity0.13 NTU4 NTU
3%
pH7.6 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%
Lead0.00027 mg/L0.01 mg/L
3%
Coliform Bacteria0 count/100mlMust be zeroNone found
E. coli0 count/100mlMust be zeroNone found
Conductivity556 µS/cmNo legal limit–
Trihalomethanes0.00903 mg/L0.1 mg/L
9%
Nitrite0.009 mg/L0.5 mg/L
2%
Copper0.0951 mg/L2 mg/L
5%
Arsenic0.00016 mg/L0.01 mg/L
2%
Cadmium0.000031 mg/L0.005 mg/L
<1%
Chromium0.00033 mg/L0.05 mg/L
<1%
Nickel0.0009 mg/L0.02 mg/L
5%
Antimony0.000036 mg/L0.005 mg/L
<1%
Selenium0.00043 mg/L0.04 mg/L
1%
Ammonia0.025 mg/L0.5 mg/L
5%
Bromate0.00101 mg/L0.01 mg/L
10%
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, 1.5 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

BN2 in short

Tap water in BN2 (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 22 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 80% 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 BrightonOnly 1 area in Brighton scored higher. The best is BN1 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 1.5 km away. What was measured

Next door

BN39.3 out of 10BN419.2 out of 10BN19.3 out of 10

Questions about BN2 water

Is BN2 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, BN2 (Brighton and Hove) water scores 9.3/10, which is safe. 1 of 22 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Southern Water.

What contaminants are in BN2 water?

We tested 22 contaminants in BN2 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 BN2?

BN2 (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 BN2?

With 1 contaminant above recommended levels in BN2, 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 BN2 water?

The tap-water tests we hold for BN2 do not include a PFAS result. Environment Agency monitoring found PFAS in 7 river and groundwater samples from 1 sites within 10 km of BN2, the highest being PFBA at 0.0037 µg/L about 1.5 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 BN2?

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 BN2, 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 BN2

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

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We'll email you when water quality data changes for BN2.

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