Tap water in DA12, GraveshamSafe to drink.Very hard.
Supplied by Southern Water. 31,596 samples, 23 substances, latest on 30 April 2026. 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
Hard water: compare softener quotes
At 273 mg/L a softener is the only thing that stops limescale. Filters do not soften water.
It pays for itself in most homes at this hardness, through a boiler that stays efficient and appliances that last.
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
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What's in a glass of DA12 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. 18 of 19 substances used under a quarter of theirs.
- Nitrate55%
- Trihalomethanes19%
- Colour15%
- Ammonia8%
- Bromate6%
- Nickel6%
- Aluminium6%
- Iron5%
- Manganese4%
- Turbidity3%
- Boron3%
- Arsenic2%
- Nitrite2%
- Antimony2%
- Copper1%
- Selenium1%
- Lead<1%
- Cadmium<1%
- Chromium<1%
- Conductivity 565 µS/cm
- pH 8 pH
- Coliform Bacteria none found
- E. coli none found
All 23 results as a table
| Substance | Result | Legal limit | Share of limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conductivity | 565 µS/cm | No legal limit | – |
| Iron | 0.00928 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 5% |
| Colour | 3 mg/L Pt/Co | 20 mg/L Pt/Co | 15% |
| Turbidity | 0.13 NTU | 4 NTU | 3% |
| pH | 8 pH | No legal limit | – |
| Nitrate | 27.3 mg/L | 50 mg/L | 55% |
| Ammonia | 0.039 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L | 8% |
| Aluminium | 0.0113 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 6% |
| Manganese | 0.00178 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | 4% |
| Copper | 0.0261 mg/L | 2 mg/L | 1% |
| Lead | 0.00009 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | <1% |
| Coliform Bacteria | 0 count/100ml | Must be zero | None found |
| E. coli | 0 count/100ml | Must be zero | None found |
| Trihalomethanes | 0.0186 mg/L | 0.1 mg/L | 19% |
| Nitrite | 0.009 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L | 2% |
| Arsenic | 0.00021 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 2% |
| Cadmium | 0.000031 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | <1% |
| Chromium | 0.00019 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | <1% |
| Nickel | 0.00114 mg/L | 0.02 mg/L | 6% |
| Antimony | 0.00009 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | 2% |
| Selenium | 0.00043 mg/L | 0.04 mg/L | 1% |
| Bromate | 0.00058 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 6% |
| Boron | 0.0319 mg/L | 1 mg/L | 3% |
273mg of limescale minerals in every litre, typical for the DA area. DA12 has no reading of its own.
This is the water that furs up kettles
Very hard on the UK scale. It is fine to drink. It is hard on boilers, showers, skin and anything that heats water, and a jug or tap filter will not change that.
Softener quotes for DA12
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Your river is the Ebbsfleet, rated moderate
The Environment Agency rated the Ebbsfleet as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by dissolved oxygen and insects and other small river life. 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
DA12 in short
Tap water in DA12 (Gravesham) is supplied by Southern Water in the Gravesham Central zone and scores 9.4 out of 10, against an England and Wales average of 9.0. None of the 23 tested substances came close to a limit. The latest sample is from 30 April 2026.
- 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
- Very hard water at 273 mg/LThe threshold for very hard is 250 mg/L. Expect visible limescale on taps and in kettles across the DA postcode area. How hardness is measured
- 2nd cleanest of 3 areas tested in GraveshamSquarely mid-table for Gravesham, between DA11 on 9.4 and DA13 on 9.3.
Questions about DA12 water
Is DA12 tap water safe to drink?
Based on the latest tests, DA12 (Gravesham) water scores 9.4/10, which is safe. 0 of 23 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Southern Water.
What contaminants are in DA12 water?
We tested 23 contaminants in DA12 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels.
Who supplies water in DA12?
DA12 (Gravesham) is supplied by Southern Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.
Is DA12 water hard or soft?
No hardness reading has been published for DA12 itself. Across the DA postcode area the typical value is 273 mg/L CaCO3, which is classified as very hard. Hard water can cause limescale buildup. A water softener or filter jug may help.
Should I use a water filter in DA12?
DA12 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 DA12 water?
No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for DA12, 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 DA12?
The Environment Agency rated the Ebbsfleet as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by dissolved oxygen and insects and other small river life. 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 DA12, which is treated before it reaches homes.
Keep reading
- Best Water Softener UKHarvey, Kinetico, BWT, Monarch and Water2Buy compared, with real costs
- Do I Need a Water Softener?The hardness bands, the symptoms, and a postcode check
- UK Water Hardness MapIs your water hard or soft, and does it matter?
- Is UK Tap Water Safe?Everything you need to know about tap water safety in the UK
- Do I need a water softener?The hardness bands, the symptoms, and when the answer is no
- Best water softener UKHarvey, Kinetico, BWT, Monarch and Water2Buy compared
- Water softener costUnit, fitting and salt, and how long the payback takes
- Installation explainedWhere it goes, the bypass tap, the drain, DIY or plumber
- Harvey vs KineticoThe two premium twin-cylinder brands, side by side
- Softener salt guideTablet, block or granular, and how much you get through
- Salt-free softenersConditioners and electronic descalers, honestly assessed
How to test your waterBest water filtersFilter shower headsWater testing kitsUK water rankingsWater hardness checkerWater hardness map
River and groundwater readings near DA12
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Lead | 0.0108 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L |
| Ammonia | 9.74 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L |
| Manganese | 0.092 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L |
| Iron | 1.68 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L |
| Nickel | 0.0717 mg/L | 0.02 mg/L |
| pH | 8.47 pH | None |
| Conductivity | 15500 µS/cm | None |
| Temperature | 10.1 °C | None |
| Cadmium | 0.00059 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L |
| Nitrate | 24.2 mg/L | 50 mg/L |
| Fluoride | 0.657 mg/L | 1.5 mg/L |
| Phosphate | 0.302 mg/L | None |
| Chromium | 0.0058 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L |
| Copper | 0.0272 mg/L | 2 mg/L |
| Zinc | 0.0569 mg/L | None |
| Dissolved Oxygen | 16.9 mg/L | None |
Get alerts for your area
We'll email you when water quality data changes for DA12.