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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in DE5, Amber ValleySafe to drink.

Supplied by Severn Trent. 1,522 samples, 20 substances, latest on 22 December 2025. Everything is inside the legal limit, and nothing comes close to it.

See the filter we recommendSee everything that was tested

9.0 / 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 DE5 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 37% of it. 16 of 17 substances used under a quarter of theirs.

0%25%50%75%limitLegal limitChromium: 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%Antimony: 0.000082 mg/L, 2% of the 0.005 mg/L limitAntimony2%Selenium: 0.00088 mg/L, 2% of the 0.04 mg/L limitSelenium2%Copper: 0.049 mg/L, 2% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper2%Nitrite: 0.013 mg/L, 3% of the 0.5 mg/L limitNitrite3%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%Manganese: 0.0021 mg/L, 4% of the 0.05 mg/L limitManganese4%Iron: 0.0105 mg/L, 5% of the 0.2 mg/L limitIron5%Aluminium: 0.021 mg/L, 11% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium11%Lead: 0.00119 mg/L, 12% of the 0.01 mg/L limitLead12%Nitrate: 7.3 mg/L, 15% of the 50 mg/L limitNitrate15%Cadmium: 0.00075 mg/L, 15% of the 0.005 mg/L limitCadmium15%Fluoride: 0.32 mg/L, 21% of the 1.5 mg/L limitFluoride21%Nickel: 0.0044 mg/L, 22% of the 0.02 mg/L limitNickel22%Trihalomethanes: 0.037 mg/L, 37% of the 0.1 mg/L limitTrihalomethanes37%
  1. Trihalomethanes37%
  2. Nickel22%
  3. Fluoride21%
  4. Cadmium15%
  5. Nitrate15%
  6. Lead12%
  7. Aluminium11%
  8. Iron5%
  9. Manganese4%
  10. Colour4%
  11. Turbidity3%
  12. Nitrite3%
  13. Copper2%
  14. Selenium2%
  15. Antimony2%
  16. Arsenic1%
  17. Chromium<1%
  • Conductivity 202 µS/cm
  • pH 7.51 pH
  • Phosphate 0.981 mg/L
All 20 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Turbidity0.12 NTU4 NTU
3%
Conductivity202 µS/cmNo legal limit–
Colour0.8 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
4%
Iron0.0105 mg/L0.2 mg/L
5%
Manganese0.0021 mg/L0.05 mg/L
4%
pH7.51 pHNo legal limit–
Aluminium0.021 mg/L0.2 mg/L
11%
Copper0.049 mg/L2 mg/L
2%
Nitrate7.3 mg/L50 mg/L
15%
Nitrite0.013 mg/L0.5 mg/L
3%
Fluoride0.32 mg/L1.5 mg/L
21%
Arsenic0.00014 mg/L0.01 mg/L
1%
Cadmium0.00075 mg/L0.005 mg/L
15%
Chromium0.00042 mg/L0.05 mg/L
<1%
Nickel0.0044 mg/L0.02 mg/L
22%
Lead0.00119 mg/L0.01 mg/L
12%
Antimony0.000082 mg/L0.005 mg/L
2%
Selenium0.00088 mg/L0.04 mg/L
2%
Trihalomethanes0.037 mg/L0.1 mg/L
37%
Phosphate0.981 mg/LNo legal limit–
Outside your tap

Your river is the Bottle Brook Catchment (trib of Derwent), rated moderate

The Environment Agency rated the Bottle Brook Catchment (trib of 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 organic pollution (bod), insects and other small river life 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

61

forever-chemical detections in nearby rivers and groundwater

At 8 sites. The highest was PFOA at 0.013 µg/L, at RSN0116 Pamelas Larches, 9.5 km away, in September 2023. These are river and borehole samples, not tests of your tap water.

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

DE5 in short

Tap water in DE5 (Amber Valley) is supplied by Severn Trent in the Amber Valley Central zone and scores 9.0 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 22 December 2025.

  • 3rd cleanest of 4 areas tested in Derby1 area in Derby scored lower. The best is DE75 on 9.2. Every area in Derby
  • PFAS found at 8 monitoring sites within 10 kmThose are river and groundwater samples, not tap water. The highest was PFOA about 9.5 km away. What was measured
  • Nothing tested came within 40% of its legal limitThe highest was Trihalomethanes at 37% of the 0.1 mg/L maximum. See every reading

Next door

DE759.2 out of 10DE559.1 out of 10DE569.0 out of 10

Questions about DE5 water

Is DE5 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, DE5 (Amber Valley) water scores 9/10, which is safe. 0 of 20 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Severn Trent.

What contaminants are in DE5 water?

We tested 20 contaminants in DE5 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 DE5?

DE5 (Amber Valley) 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 DE5?

DE5 water scored 9/10 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 DE5 water?

The tap-water tests we hold for DE5 do not include a PFAS result. Environment Agency monitoring found PFAS in 61 river and groundwater samples from 8 sites within 10 km of DE5, the highest being PFOA at 0.013 µg/L about 9.5 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 DE5?

The Environment Agency rated the Bottle Brook Catchment (trib of 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 organic pollution (bod), insects and other small river life 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 DE5, 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 DE5

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
Turbidity5.2 NTU4 NTU
pH8.02 pHNone
Temperature16 °CNone
Ammonia0.059 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Nitrate7.4 mg/L50 mg/L
Nitrite0.042 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Phosphate0.048 mg/LNone
Dissolved Oxygen8.93 mg/LNone
Iron0.08 mg/L0.2 mg/L
Aluminium0.049 mg/L0.2 mg/L
Copper0.0021 mg/L2 mg/L
Zinc0.032 mg/LNone
Lead0.0026 mg/L0.01 mg/L
Conductivity896 µS/cmNone
PFAS (total)0.00672 µg/LNone

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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