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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in CT3, DoverSafe to drink.

Supplied by Southern Water. 15,178 samples, 22 substances, latest on 29 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 CT3 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 51% of it. 17 of 18 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: 0.000038 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%Nitrite: 0.009 mg/L, 2% of the 0.5 mg/L limitNitrite2%Arsenic: 0.00018 mg/L, 2% of the 0.01 mg/L limitArsenic2%Turbidity: 0.13 NTU, 3% of the 4 NTU limitTurbidity3%Nickel: 0.00068 mg/L, 3% of the 0.02 mg/L limitNickel3%Boron: 0.0341 mg/L, 3% of the 1 mg/L limitBoron3%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%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%Trihalomethanes: 0.00855 mg/L, 9% of the 0.1 mg/L limitTrihalomethanes9%Copper: 0.211 mg/L, 11% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper11%Colour: 3 mg/L Pt/Co, 15% of the 20 mg/L Pt/Co limitColour15%Nitrate: 25.5 mg/L, 51% of the 50 mg/L limitNitrate51%
  1. Nitrate51%
  2. Colour15%
  3. Copper11%
  4. Trihalomethanes9%
  5. Ammonia8%
  6. Aluminium6%
  7. Iron5%
  8. Manganese4%
  9. Boron3%
  10. Nickel3%
  11. Turbidity3%
  12. Nitrite2%
  13. Arsenic2%
  14. Selenium1%
  15. Lead<1%
  16. Antimony<1%
  17. Cadmium<1%
  18. Chromium<1%
  • Coliform Bacteria none found
  • E. coli none found
  • Conductivity 671 µS/cm
  • pH 7.5 pH
All 22 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Manganese0.00178 mg/L0.05 mg/L
4%
Lead0.00009 mg/L0.01 mg/L
<1%
Coliform Bacteria0 count/100mlMust be zeroNone found
E. coli0 count/100mlMust be zeroNone found
Conductivity671 µS/cmNo legal limit–
Colour3 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
15%
Turbidity0.13 NTU4 NTU
3%
pH7.5 pHNo legal limit–
Nitrate25.5 mg/L50 mg/L
51%
Aluminium0.0113 mg/L0.2 mg/L
6%
Iron0.00928 mg/L0.2 mg/L
5%
Trihalomethanes0.00855 mg/L0.1 mg/L
9%
Nitrite0.009 mg/L0.5 mg/L
2%
Ammonia0.039 mg/L0.5 mg/L
8%
Copper0.211 mg/L2 mg/L
11%
Arsenic0.00018 mg/L0.01 mg/L
2%
Cadmium0.000031 mg/L0.005 mg/L
<1%
Chromium0.00019 mg/L0.05 mg/L
<1%
Nickel0.00068 mg/L0.02 mg/L
3%
Antimony0.000038 mg/L0.005 mg/L
<1%
Selenium0.00043 mg/L0.04 mg/L
1%
Boron0.0341 mg/L1 mg/L
3%
Outside your tap

Your river is the Wingham and Little Stour, rated poor

The Environment Agency rated the Wingham and Little Stour 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 dissolved oxygen, fish 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

CT3 in short

Tap water in CT3 (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 22 tested substances came close to a limit. The latest sample is from 29 April 2026.

  • The lowest score of the 6 areas tested in DoverCT3 scores 9.4 out of 10. The best in Dover, CT13, scores 9.5.
  • Nitrate is the reading closest to its limit, at 51% 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 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

CT139.5 out of 10CT159.4 out of 10CT179.4 out of 10CT169.4 out of 10CT149.5 out of 10

Questions about CT3 water

Is CT3 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, CT3 (Dover) 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 CT3 water?

We tested 22 contaminants in CT3 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels.

Who supplies water in CT3?

CT3 (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 CT3?

CT3 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 CT3 water?

No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for CT3, 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 CT3?

The Environment Agency rated the Wingham and Little Stour 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 dissolved oxygen, fish 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 CT3, 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 CT3

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
pH7.67 pHNone
Temperature16.6 °CNone
Conductivity639 µS/cmNone
Nitrate6.4 mg/L50 mg/L
Nitrite0.018 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Phosphate0.029 mg/LNone
Dissolved Oxygen8.7 mg/LNone
Ammonia0.2 mg/L0.5 mg/L

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We'll email you when water quality data changes for CT3.

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