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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in CT16, DoverSafe to drink.

Supplied by Southern Water. 957 samples, 24 substances, latest on 18 December 2025. 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 CT16 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 55% of it. 20 of 21 substances used under a quarter of theirs.

0%25%50%75%limitLegal limitAntimony: 0.000028 mg/L, <1% of the 0.005 mg/L limitAntimony<1%Manganese: 0.000363 mg/L, <1% of the 0.05 mg/L limitManganese<1%Chromium: 0.000383 mg/L, <1% of the 0.05 mg/L limitChromium<1%Aluminium: 0.00199 mg/L, <1% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium<1%Cadmium: 0.000054 mg/L, 1% of the 0.005 mg/L limitCadmium1%Selenium: 0.000443 mg/L, 1% of the 0.04 mg/L limitSelenium1%Arsenic: 0.000139 mg/L, 1% of the 0.01 mg/L limitArsenic1%Nitrite: 0.01 mg/L, 2% of the 0.5 mg/L limitNitrite2%Mercury: 0.000023 mg/L, 2% of the 0.001 mg/L limitMercury2%Copper: 0.054 mg/L, 3% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper3%Nickel: 0.000611 mg/L, 3% of the 0.02 mg/L limitNickel3%Iron: 0.00897 mg/L, 4% of the 0.2 mg/L limitIron4%Boron: 0.046 mg/L, 5% of the 1 mg/L limitBoron5%Trihalomethanes: 0.00543 mg/L, 5% of the 0.1 mg/L limitTrihalomethanes5%Fluoride: 0.085 mg/L, 6% of the 1.5 mg/L limitFluoride6%Turbidity: 0.3 NTU, 8% of the 4 NTU limitTurbidity8%Colour: 2 mg/L Pt/Co, 10% of the 20 mg/L Pt/Co limitColour10%Lead: 0.00114 mg/L, 11% of the 0.01 mg/L limitLead11%Ammonia: 0.06 mg/L, 12% of the 0.5 mg/L limitAmmonia12%Bromate: 0.00147 mg/L, 15% of the 0.01 mg/L limitBromate15%Nitrate: 27.5 mg/L, 55% of the 50 mg/L limitNitrate55%
  1. Nitrate55%
  2. Bromate15%
  3. Ammonia12%
  4. Lead11%
  5. Colour10%
  6. Turbidity8%
  7. Fluoride6%
  8. Trihalomethanes5%
  9. Boron5%
  10. Iron4%
  11. Nickel3%
  12. Copper3%
  13. Mercury2%
  14. Nitrite2%
  15. Arsenic1%
  16. Selenium1%
  17. Cadmium1%
  18. Aluminium<1%
  19. Chromium<1%
  20. Manganese<1%
  21. Antimony<1%
  • Coliform Bacteria none found
  • E. coli none found
  • Conductivity 518 µS/cm
All 24 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Iron0.00897 mg/L0.2 mg/L
4%
Turbidity0.3 NTU4 NTU
8%
Coliform Bacteria0 count/100mlMust be zeroNone found
Nickel0.000611 mg/L0.02 mg/L
3%
E. coli0 count/100mlMust be zeroNone found
Fluoride0.085 mg/L1.5 mg/L
6%
Selenium0.000443 mg/L0.04 mg/L
1%
Nitrite0.01 mg/L0.5 mg/L
2%
Colour2 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
10%
Copper0.054 mg/L2 mg/L
3%
Bromate0.00147 mg/L0.01 mg/L
15%
Conductivity518 µS/cmNo legal limit–
Chromium0.000383 mg/L0.05 mg/L
<1%
Nitrate27.5 mg/L50 mg/L
55%
Arsenic0.000139 mg/L0.01 mg/L
1%
Lead0.00114 mg/L0.01 mg/L
11%
Aluminium0.00199 mg/L0.2 mg/L
<1%
Trihalomethanes0.00543 mg/L0.1 mg/L
5%
Ammonia0.06 mg/L0.5 mg/L
12%
Boron0.046 mg/L1 mg/L
5%
Mercury0.000023 mg/L0.001 mg/L
2%
Manganese0.000363 mg/L0.05 mg/L
<1%
Cadmium0.000054 mg/L0.005 mg/L
1%
Antimony0.000028 mg/L0.005 mg/L
<1%
Outside your tap

Your river is the Dour from Kearsney to Dover, rated moderate

The Environment Agency rated the Dour from Kearsney to Dover as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by fish. 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

CT16 in short

Tap water in CT16 (Dover) is supplied by Southern Water in the Dover Central zone and scores 9.4 out of 10, against an England and Wales average of 9.0. None of the 24 tested substances came close to a limit. The latest sample is from 18 December 2025.

  • Nitrate is the reading closest to its limit, at 55% of the 50 mg/L maximumIt passed with room to spare, and everything else tested sat further below its limit. See every reading
  • 4th cleanest of 6 areas tested in DoverSquarely mid-table for Dover, between CT13 on 9.5 and CT3 on 9.4.
  • Scores higher than 0 of 5 neighbouring districtsWater here is typical for the immediate area, which usually means the same treatment works and the same supply zone.

Next door

CT39.4 out of 10CT179.4 out of 10CT159.4 out of 10CT139.5 out of 10CT149.5 out of 10

Questions about CT16 water

Is CT16 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, CT16 (Dover) water scores 9.4/10, which is safe. 0 of 24 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Southern Water.

What contaminants are in CT16 water?

We tested 24 contaminants in CT16 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels.

Who supplies water in CT16?

CT16 (Dover) 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 CT16?

CT16 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 CT16 water?

No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for CT16, 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 CT16?

The Environment Agency rated the Dour from Kearsney to Dover as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by fish. 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 CT16, 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 CT16

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
pH7.9 pHNone
Temperature15 °CNone
Conductivity610 µS/cmNone
Nitrate5.8 mg/L50 mg/L
Nitrite0.013 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Phosphate0.042 mg/LNone
Dissolved Oxygen9.9 mg/LNone
Turbidity2.3 NTU4 NTU

Get alerts for your area

We'll email you when water quality data changes for CT16.

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