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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in DE1, DerbySafe to drink.

Supplied by Severn Trent. 1,024 samples, 20 substances, latest on 21 December 2025. Everything is inside the legal limit, and nothing comes close to it.

See the filter we recommendSee everything that was tested

9.3 / 10

The tank is as full as the score.

What to do about it

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Households concerned about PFAS and heavy metals

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High-volume under-sink filtration without RO complexity

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Basic chlorine and taste improvement on a budget

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What's in a glass of DE1 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.

Trihalomethanes came closest to a limit, at 33% of it. 16 of 17 substances used under a quarter of theirs.

0%25%50%75%limitLegal limitNitrite: 0.003 mg/L, <1% of the 0.5 mg/L limitNitrite<1%Chromium: 0.00042 mg/L, <1% of the 0.05 mg/L limitChromium<1%Selenium: 0.00047 mg/L, 1% of the 0.04 mg/L limitSelenium1%Arsenic: 0.00014 mg/L, 1% of the 0.01 mg/L limitArsenic1%Lead: 0.00014 mg/L, 1% of the 0.01 mg/L limitLead1%Manganese: 0.00073 mg/L, 1% of the 0.05 mg/L limitManganese1%Turbidity: 0.12 NTU, 3% of the 4 NTU limitTurbidity3%Cadmium: 0.00016 mg/L, 3% of the 0.005 mg/L limitCadmium3%Antimony: 0.000169 mg/L, 3% of the 0.005 mg/L limitAntimony3%Iron: 0.007 mg/L, 3% of the 0.2 mg/L limitIron3%Copper: 0.0832 mg/L, 4% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper4%Colour: 0.9 mg/L Pt/Co, 5% of the 20 mg/L Pt/Co limitColour5%Nickel: 0.0021 mg/L, 11% of the 0.02 mg/L limitNickel11%Aluminium: 0.021 mg/L, 11% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium11%Fluoride: 0.26 mg/L, 17% of the 1.5 mg/L limitFluoride17%Nitrate: 8.7 mg/L, 17% of the 50 mg/L limitNitrate17%Trihalomethanes: 0.0328 mg/L, 33% of the 0.1 mg/L limitTrihalomethanes33%
  1. Trihalomethanes33%
  2. Nitrate17%
  3. Fluoride17%
  4. Nickel11%
  5. Aluminium11%
  6. Colour5%
  7. Copper4%
  8. Iron3%
  9. Antimony3%
  10. Cadmium3%
  11. Turbidity3%
  12. Manganese1%
  13. Arsenic1%
  14. Lead1%
  15. Selenium1%
  16. Chromium<1%
  17. Nitrite<1%
  • pH 7.37 pH
  • Conductivity 365 µS/cm
  • Phosphate 1.04 mg/L
All 20 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Colour0.9 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
5%
Turbidity0.12 NTU4 NTU
3%
pH7.37 pHNo legal limit–
Iron0.007 mg/L0.2 mg/L
3%
Manganese0.00073 mg/L0.05 mg/L
1%
Aluminium0.021 mg/L0.2 mg/L
11%
Nitrate8.7 mg/L50 mg/L
17%
Nitrite0.003 mg/L0.5 mg/L
<1%
Conductivity365 µS/cmNo legal limit–
Copper0.0832 mg/L2 mg/L
4%
Fluoride0.26 mg/L1.5 mg/L
17%
Arsenic0.00014 mg/L0.01 mg/L
1%
Cadmium0.00016 mg/L0.005 mg/L
3%
Chromium0.00042 mg/L0.05 mg/L
<1%
Nickel0.0021 mg/L0.02 mg/L
11%
Lead0.00014 mg/L0.01 mg/L
1%
Antimony0.000169 mg/L0.005 mg/L
3%
Selenium0.00047 mg/L0.04 mg/L
1%
Trihalomethanes0.0328 mg/L0.1 mg/L
33%
Phosphate1.04 mg/LNo legal limit–
Outside your tap

Your river is the Markeaton Brook from Mackworth Brook to Derwent, rated moderate

The Environment Agency rated the Markeaton Brook from Mackworth Brook to Derwent 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

132

forever-chemical detections in nearby rivers and groundwater

At 18 sites. The highest was 6:2 FTSA at 0.35 µg/L, at Non-Tidal River Trent at Willington, 10.0 km away, in July 2025. These are river and borehole samples, not tests of your tap water.

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

DE1 in short

Tap water in DE1 (Derby) is supplied by Severn Trent in the Derby Central zone and scores 9.3 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 21 December 2025.

  • The cleanest tap water of the 6 areas tested in DerbyDE1 scores 9.3 out of 10, ahead of DE22 in second place on 9.3. Every area in Derby
  • PFAS found at 18 monitoring sites within 10 kmThose are river and groundwater samples, not tap water. The highest was 6:2 FTSA about 10 km away. What was measured
  • Nothing tested came within 40% of its legal limitThe highest was Trihalomethanes at 33% of the 0.1 mg/L maximum. See every reading

Next door

DE219.2 out of 10DE229.3 out of 10DE239.2 out of 10DE249.3 out of 10DE38.6 out of 10

Questions about DE1 water

Is DE1 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, DE1 (Derby) water scores 9.3/10, which is safe. 0 of 20 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Severn Trent.

What contaminants are in DE1 water?

We tested 20 contaminants in DE1 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 DE1?

DE1 (Derby) is supplied by Severn Trent. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.

Should I use a water filter in DE1?

DE1 water scored 9.3/10 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 DE1 water?

The tap-water tests we hold for DE1 do not include a PFAS result. Environment Agency monitoring found PFAS in 132 river and groundwater samples from 18 sites within 10 km of DE1, the highest being 6:2 FTSA at 0.35 µg/L about 10 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 DE1?

The Environment Agency rated the Markeaton Brook from Mackworth Brook to Derwent 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 DE1, which is treated before it reaches homes.

Keep reading

PFAS explainedHow to test your waterBest water filtersFilter shower headsWater testing kitsAll of DerbyUK water rankingsWater hardness checkerWater hardness map

River and groundwater readings near DE1

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
Lead0.011 mg/L0.01 mg/L
Manganese0.05 mg/L0.05 mg/L
pH8.2 pHNone
Temperature15.3 °CNone
Conductivity609 µS/cmNone
Cadmium0.00012 mg/L0.005 mg/L
Hardness (as CaCO3)208 mg/LNone
Zinc0.025 mg/LNone
Nickel0.0019 mg/L0.02 mg/L
Copper0.0022 mg/L2 mg/L
Iron0.073 mg/L0.2 mg/L
Ammonia0.083 mg/L0.5 mg/L

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We'll email you when water quality data changes for DE1.

Source: Severn Trent 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