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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in BN45, Mid SussexSafe to drink.

Supplied by Southern Water. 2,990 samples, 22 substances, latest on 22 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 BN45 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 70% of it. 17 of 18 substances used under a quarter of theirs.

0%25%50%75%limitLegal limitCadmium: 0.000011 mg/L, <1% of the 0.005 mg/L limitCadmium<1%Chromium: 0.00013 mg/L, <1% of the 0.05 mg/L limitChromium<1%Nitrite: 0.004 mg/L, <1% of the 0.5 mg/L limitNitrite<1%Selenium: 0.00034 mg/L, <1% of the 0.04 mg/L limitSelenium<1%Lead: 0.00009 mg/L, <1% of the 0.01 mg/L limitLead<1%Bromate: 0.0001 mg/L, 1% of the 0.01 mg/L limitBromate1%Arsenic: 0.00011 mg/L, 1% of the 0.01 mg/L limitArsenic1%Copper: 0.0252 mg/L, 1% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper1%Antimony: 0.0001 mg/L, 2% of the 0.005 mg/L limitAntimony2%Nickel: 0.00044 mg/L, 2% of the 0.02 mg/L limitNickel2%Turbidity: 0.13 NTU, 3% of the 4 NTU limitTurbidity3%Manganese: 0.00178 mg/L, 4% of the 0.05 mg/L limitManganese4%Iron: 0.00928 mg/L, 5% of the 0.2 mg/L limitIron5%Trihalomethanes: 0.00514 mg/L, 5% of the 0.1 mg/L limitTrihalomethanes5%Aluminium: 0.0113 mg/L, 6% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium6%Ammonia: 0.039 mg/L, 8% of the 0.5 mg/L limitAmmonia8%Colour: 3 mg/L Pt/Co, 15% of the 20 mg/L Pt/Co limitColour15%Nitrate: 35.2 mg/L, 70% of the 50 mg/L limitNitrate70%
  1. Nitrate70%
  2. Colour15%
  3. Ammonia8%
  4. Aluminium6%
  5. Trihalomethanes5%
  6. Iron5%
  7. Manganese4%
  8. Turbidity3%
  9. Nickel2%
  10. Antimony2%
  11. Copper1%
  12. Arsenic1%
  13. Bromate1%
  14. Lead<1%
  15. Selenium<1%
  16. Nitrite<1%
  17. Chromium<1%
  18. Cadmium<1%
  • pH 7.3 pH
  • Conductivity 515 µS/cm
  • Coliform Bacteria none found
  • E. coli none found
All 22 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
pH7.3 pHNo legal limit–
Lead0.00009 mg/L0.01 mg/L
<1%
Conductivity515 µS/cmNo legal limit–
Nitrate35.2 mg/L50 mg/L
70%
Coliform Bacteria0 count/100mlMust be zeroNone found
E. coli0 count/100mlMust be zeroNone found
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%
Ammonia0.039 mg/L0.5 mg/L
8%
Copper0.0252 mg/L2 mg/L
1%
Arsenic0.00011 mg/L0.01 mg/L
1%
Cadmium0.000011 mg/L0.005 mg/L
<1%
Chromium0.00013 mg/L0.05 mg/L
<1%
Nickel0.00044 mg/L0.02 mg/L
2%
Antimony0.0001 mg/L0.005 mg/L
2%
Selenium0.00034 mg/L0.04 mg/L
<1%
Trihalomethanes0.00514 mg/L0.1 mg/L
5%
Bromate0.0001 mg/L0.01 mg/L
1%
Outside your tap

Your river is the Woodsmill Stream, rated moderate

The Environment Agency rated the Woodsmill Stream as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by water plants and algae and phosphate. 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

61

forever-chemical detections in nearby rivers and groundwater

At 2 sites. The highest was PFBS at 0.057 µg/L, at RSN0537 Adur East Churchill Way Burgesshill, 8.2 km away, in July 2026. These are river and borehole samples, not tests of your tap water.

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

BN45 in short

Tap water in BN45 (Mid Sussex) is supplied by Southern Water in the Mid Sussex Central zone and scores 9.4 out of 10, against an England and Wales average of 9.0. None of the 22 tested substances came close to a limit. The latest sample is from 22 April 2026.

  • The cleanest tap water of the 5 areas tested in Mid SussexBN45 scores 9.4 out of 10, ahead of RH15 in second place on 9.4.
  • Nitrate is the reading closest to its limit, at 70% of the 50 mg/L maximumIt passed with room to spare, and everything else tested sat further below its limit. See every reading
  • PFAS found at 2 monitoring sites within 10 kmThose are river and groundwater samples, not tap water. The highest was PFBS about 8.2 km away. What was measured

Next door

BN69.0 out of 10RH167.0 out of 10 · 148 mg/LRH179.3 out of 10 · 148 mg/LRH159.4 out of 10 · 148 mg/L

Also nearby: RH19

Questions about BN45 water

Is BN45 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, BN45 (Mid Sussex) water scores 9.4/10, which is safe. 0 of 22 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Southern Water.

What contaminants are in BN45 water?

We tested 22 contaminants in BN45 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels. 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 BN45?

BN45 (Mid Sussex) 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 BN45?

BN45 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 BN45 water?

The tap-water tests we hold for BN45 do not include a PFAS result. Environment Agency monitoring found PFAS in 61 river and groundwater samples from 2 sites within 10 km of BN45, the highest being PFBS at 0.057 µg/L about 8.2 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 river near BN45?

The Environment Agency rated the Woodsmill Stream as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by water plants and algae and phosphate. 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 BN45, which is treated before it reaches homes.

Keep reading

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

River and groundwater readings near BN45

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
Ammonia0.43 mg/L0.5 mg/L
pH8.38 pHNone
Temperature16.7 °CNone
Conductivity474 µS/cmNone
Nitrate3.1 mg/L50 mg/L
Phosphate0.026 mg/LNone
Dissolved Oxygen9.31 mg/LNone
Nitrite0.0062 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Manganese0.0104 mg/L0.05 mg/L
Iron0.0512 mg/L0.2 mg/L
Copper0.000808 mg/L2 mg/L
Zinc0.113 mg/LNone
Nickel0.00365 mg/L0.02 mg/L

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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