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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in DE3, DerbySafe to drink.

Supplied by Severn Trent. 1,582 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

8.6 / 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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Basic chlorine and taste improvement on a budget

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What's in a glass of DE3 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.

Lead came closest to a limit, at 53% of it. 14 of 17 substances used under a quarter of theirs.

0%25%50%75%limitLegal limitCopper: 0.0104 mg/L, <1% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper<1%Nitrite: 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%Arsenic: 0.00014 mg/L, 1% of the 0.01 mg/L limitArsenic1%Manganese: 0.00073 mg/L, 1% of the 0.05 mg/L limitManganese1%Antimony: 0.000085 mg/L, 2% of the 0.005 mg/L limitAntimony2%Selenium: 0.00111 mg/L, 3% of the 0.04 mg/L limitSelenium3%Turbidity: 0.12 NTU, 3% of the 4 NTU limitTurbidity3%Colour: 0.8 mg/L Pt/Co, 4% of the 20 mg/L Pt/Co limitColour4%Iron: 0.009 mg/L, 5% of the 0.2 mg/L limitIron5%Aluminium: 0.021 mg/L, 11% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium11%Cadmium: 0.00077 mg/L, 15% of the 0.005 mg/L limitCadmium15%Nitrate: 7.9 mg/L, 16% of the 50 mg/L limitNitrate16%Nickel: 0.0035 mg/L, 18% of the 0.02 mg/L limitNickel18%Fluoride: 0.44 mg/L, 29% of the 1.5 mg/L limitFluoride29%Trihalomethanes: 0.0356 mg/L, 36% of the 0.1 mg/L limitTrihalomethanes36%Lead: 0.00529 mg/L, 53% of the 0.01 mg/L limitLead53%
  1. Lead53%
  2. Trihalomethanes36%
  3. Fluoride29%
  4. Nickel18%
  5. Nitrate16%
  6. Cadmium15%
  7. Aluminium11%
  8. Iron5%
  9. Colour4%
  10. Turbidity3%
  11. Selenium3%
  12. Antimony2%
  13. Manganese1%
  14. Arsenic1%
  15. Chromium<1%
  16. Nitrite<1%
  17. Copper<1%
  • Conductivity 290 µS/cm
  • pH 7.39 pH
  • Phosphate 1.03 mg/L
All 20 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Conductivity290 µS/cmNo legal limit–
pH7.39 pHNo legal limit–
Colour0.8 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
4%
Turbidity0.12 NTU4 NTU
3%
Aluminium0.021 mg/L0.2 mg/L
11%
Iron0.009 mg/L0.2 mg/L
5%
Manganese0.00073 mg/L0.05 mg/L
1%
Nitrate7.9 mg/L50 mg/L
16%
Nitrite0.003 mg/L0.5 mg/L
<1%
Copper0.0104 mg/L2 mg/L
<1%
Fluoride0.44 mg/L1.5 mg/L
29%
Arsenic0.00014 mg/L0.01 mg/L
1%
Cadmium0.00077 mg/L0.005 mg/L
15%
Chromium0.00042 mg/L0.05 mg/L
<1%
Nickel0.0035 mg/L0.02 mg/L
18%
Lead0.00529 mg/L0.01 mg/L
53%
Antimony0.000085 mg/L0.005 mg/L
2%
Selenium0.00111 mg/L0.04 mg/L
3%
Trihalomethanes0.0356 mg/L0.1 mg/L
36%
Phosphate1.03 mg/LNo legal limit–
Outside your tap

Your river is the Eggington Brook Catchment (trib of Trent), rated moderate

The Environment Agency rated the Eggington Brook Catchment (trib of Trent) as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by phosphate and water plants and algae. 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

211

forever-chemical detections in nearby rivers and groundwater

At 21 sites. The highest was 6:2 FTSA at 0.35 µg/L, at Non-Tidal River Trent at Willington, 7.0 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

DE3 in short

Tap water in DE3 (Derby) is supplied by Severn Trent in the Derby Central zone and scores 8.6 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 lowest score of the 6 areas tested in DerbyDE3 scores 8.6 out of 10. The best in Derby, DE1, scores 9.3. Every area in Derby
  • Every one of the 5 neighbouring districts scores higherDE22 next door scores 9.3, against 8.6 here. Supply zones, not distance, explain the gap. See DE22
  • Lead is the reading closest to its limit, at 53% of the 0.01 mg/L maximumIt passed with room to spare, and everything else tested sat further below its limit. See every reading

Next door

DE219.2 out of 10DE229.3 out of 10DE19.3 out of 10DE239.2 out of 10DE249.3 out of 10

Questions about DE3 water

Is DE3 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, DE3 (Derby) water scores 8.6/10, which is safe. 0 of 20 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Severn Trent.

What contaminants are in DE3 water?

We tested 20 contaminants in DE3 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 DE3?

DE3 (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 DE3?

DE3 water scored 8.6/10 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 DE3 water?

The tap-water tests we hold for DE3 do not include a PFAS result. Environment Agency monitoring found PFAS in 211 river and groundwater samples from 21 sites within 10 km of DE3, the highest being 6:2 FTSA at 0.35 µg/L about 7 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 DE3?

The Environment Agency rated the Eggington Brook Catchment (trib of Trent) as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by phosphate and water plants and algae. 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 DE3, 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 DE3

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
Nitrate4.4 mg/L50 mg/L
Nitrite0.018 mg/L0.5 mg/L

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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