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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in DE56, Amber ValleySafe to drink.

Supplied by Severn Trent. 1,083 samples, 20 substances, latest on 21 December 2025. Everything is inside the legal limit, and nothing comes close to it.

9.0 / 10

The tank is as full as the score.

What to do about it

ZeroWater 12-Cup Ready-Pour

ZeroWater 12-Cup Ready-Pour

£40typical price

Households concerned about PFAS and heavy metals

Waterdrop 10UA Under Sink

Waterdrop 10UA Under Sink

£70typical price

High-volume under-sink filtration without RO complexity

BRITA Marella XL + MAXTRA PRO

BRITA Marella XL + MAXTRA PRO

£25typical price

Basic chlorine and taste improvement on a budget

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What's in a glass of DE56 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 0.974 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%
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%
Nitrate7.3 mg/L50 mg/L
15%
Nitrite0.013 mg/L0.5 mg/L
3%
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%
Phosphate0.974 mg/LNo legal limit–
Outside your tap

Your river is the Derwent from Amber to Bottle Brook, rated moderate

The Environment Agency rated the Derwent from Amber to Bottle Brook 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 specific pollutants. 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

75

forever-chemical detections in nearby rivers and groundwater

At 13 sites. The highest was 6:2 FTSA at 0.061 µg/L, at Spring at Breadsall Manor Groundwater Quality Monitoring D22/15A, 7.2 km away, in March 2026. These are river and borehole samples, not tests of your tap water.

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

DE56 in short

Tap water in DE56 (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 21 December 2025.

  • The lowest score of the 4 areas tested in DerbyDE56 scores 9 out of 10. The best in Derby, DE75, scores 9.2. Every area in Derby
  • PFAS found at 13 monitoring sites within 10 kmThose are river and groundwater samples, not tap water. The highest was 6:2 FTSA about 7.2 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

Questions about DE56 water

Is DE56 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, DE56 (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 DE56 water?

We tested 20 contaminants in DE56 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 DE56?

DE56 (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 DE56?

DE56 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 DE56 water?

The tap-water tests we hold for DE56 do not include a PFAS result. Environment Agency monitoring found PFAS in 75 river and groundwater samples from 13 sites within 10 km of DE56, the highest being 6:2 FTSA at 0.061 µg/L about 7.2 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 DE56?

The Environment Agency rated the Derwent from Amber to Bottle Brook 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 specific pollutants. 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 DE56, 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 DE56

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
Lead0.01 mg/L0.01 mg/L
pH8.2 pHNone
Temperature14.8 °CNone
Conductivity624 µS/cmNone
Cadmium0.00016 mg/L0.005 mg/L
Hardness (as CaCO3)208 mg/LNone
Zinc0.046 mg/LNone
Nickel0.002 mg/L0.02 mg/L
Copper0.0019 mg/L2 mg/L
Manganese0.026 mg/L0.05 mg/L
Iron0.079 mg/L0.2 mg/L
Ammonia0.076 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Nitrate2.8 mg/L50 mg/L
Nitrite0.018 mg/L0.5 mg/L

Get alerts for your area

We'll email you when water quality data changes for DE56.

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