Tap water in CA9, NorthumberlandSafe to drink.Soft.
Supplied by Northumbrian Water. 93 samples, 20 substances, latest on 25 September 2024. Everything is inside the legal limit, and nothing comes close to it.
9.4 / 10
The tank is as full as the score. The specks are the minerals that make water hard.
What to do about it
ZeroWater 12-Cup Ready-Pour
£40typical price
Households concerned about PFAS and heavy metals
Waterdrop 10UA Under Sink
£70typical price
High-volume under-sink filtration without RO complexity
BRITA Marella XL + MAXTRA PRO
£25typical price
Basic chlorine and taste improvement on a budget
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What's in a glass of CA9 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.
Fluoride came closest to a limit, at 55% of it. 17 of 18 substances used under a quarter of theirs.
- Fluoride55%
- Aluminium11%
- Bromate10%
- Turbidity9%
- Iron7%
- Colour6%
- Antimony3%
- Selenium2%
- Nitrate2%
- Arsenic2%
- Nickel1%
- Manganese<1%
- Boron<1%
- Nitrite<1%
- Lead<1%
- Cadmium<1%
- Chromium<1%
- Copper<1%
- pH 9.1 pH
- Conductivity 130 µS/cm
All 20 results as a table
| Substance | Result | Legal limit | Share of limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| pH | 9.1 pH | No legal limit | – |
| Colour | 1.2 mg/L Pt/Co | 20 mg/L Pt/Co | 6% |
| Iron | 0.014 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 7% |
| Conductivity | 130 µS/cm | No legal limit | – |
| Manganese | 0.00048 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | <1% |
| Turbidity | 0.34 NTU | 4 NTU | 9% |
| Aluminium | 0.021 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 11% |
| Nitrate | 0.98 mg/L | 50 mg/L | 2% |
| Nickel | 0.00029 mg/L | 0.02 mg/L | 1% |
| Arsenic | 0.00017 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 2% |
| Nitrite | 0.0035 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L | <1% |
| Selenium | 0.00083 mg/L | 0.04 mg/L | 2% |
| Copper | 0.004 mg/L | 2 mg/L | <1% |
| Fluoride | 0.83 mg/L | 1.5 mg/L | 55% |
| Bromate | 0.00099 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 10% |
| Chromium | 0.00017 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | <1% |
| Antimony | 0.00016 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | 3% |
| Cadmium | 0.000018 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | <1% |
| Lead | 0.000065 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | <1% |
| Boron | 0.0083 mg/L | 1 mg/L | <1% |
8mg of limescale minerals in every litre, typical for the CA area. CA9 has no reading of its own.
Soft water. Kind to kettles, boilers and skin
You will not need a softener here, and you will use less soap and detergent than most of England.
Your river is the South Tyne from Black Burn to Tipalt Burn, rated moderate
The Environment Agency rated the South Tyne from Black Burn to Tipalt Burn as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by insects and other small river life and specific pollutants. 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
CA9 in short
Tap water in CA9 (Northumberland) is supplied by Northumbrian Water in the Northumberland Central zone and scores 9.4 out of 10, against an England and Wales average of 9.0. None of the 20 tested substances came close to a limit. The latest sample is from 25 September 2024.
- The newest sample here is from September 2024That is over 2 years old, so treat this page as a record of past results rather than today's tap water.
- Fluoride is the reading closest to its limit, at 55% of the 1.5 mg/L maximumIt passed with room to spare, and everything else tested sat further below its limit. See every reading
- 10th cleanest of 28 areas tested in NorthumberlandOnly 9 areas in Northumberland scored higher. The best is NE41 on 9.8.
Questions about CA9 water
Is CA9 tap water safe to drink?
Based on the latest tests, CA9 (Northumberland) water scores 9.4/10, which is safe. 0 of 20 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Northumbrian Water.
What contaminants are in CA9 water?
We tested 20 contaminants in CA9 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels.
Who supplies water in CA9?
CA9 (Northumberland) is supplied by Northumbrian Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.
Is CA9 water hard or soft?
No hardness reading has been published for CA9 itself. Across the CA postcode area the typical value is 8 mg/L CaCO3, which is classified as soft. Soft water is gentle on appliances and skin.
Should I use a water filter in CA9?
CA9 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 CA9 water?
No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for CA9, 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 CA9?
The Environment Agency rated the South Tyne from Black Burn to Tipalt Burn as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by insects and other small river life and specific pollutants. 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 CA9, which is treated before it reaches homes.
Keep reading
- Is UK Tap Water Safe?Everything you need to know about tap water safety in the UK
- Best Water Filters UKEvery filter type compared on what it actually removes
- How to Test Your Tap WaterFrom DIY strips to professional lab analysis
- Best Water Filter Jug UKBRITA vs ZeroWater vs the rest, tested against real data
How to test your waterBest water filtersFilter shower headsWater testing kitsUK water rankingsWater hardness checkerWater hardness map
River and groundwater readings near CA9
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.
| Substance | Reading | Drinking water limit |
|---|---|---|
| Iron | 0.58 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L |
| pH | 8.31 pH | None |
| Temperature | 10.8 °C | None |
| Conductivity | 129 µS/cm | None |
| Nitrate | 0.048 mg/L | 50 mg/L |
| Phosphate | 0.0027 mg/L | None |
| Turbidity | 2.1 NTU | 4 NTU |
| Dissolved Oxygen | 11.2 mg/L | None |
| Ammonia | 0.027 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L |
| Nitrite | 0.004 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L |
| Lead | 0.0038 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L |
| Cadmium | 0.00012 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L |
| Zinc | 0.047 mg/L | None |
| Nickel | 0.002 mg/L | 0.02 mg/L |
| Copper | 0.0011 mg/L | 2 mg/L |
Get alerts for your area
We'll email you when water quality data changes for CA9.