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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in GU8, WaverleyNickel is over the limit.Slightly hard.

Supplied by Thames Water. 74 samples, 23 substances, latest on 31 December 2025. Nickel came in above the legal limit. Everything else passed.

See the filter we recommendSee everything that was tested

8.8 / 10

The tank is as full as the score. The specks are the minerals that make water hard.

What to do about it

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Removes nickel, the result that stood out in GU8.

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Basic chlorine and taste improvement on a budget

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Households concerned about PFAS and heavy metals

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What's in a glass of GU8 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.

Nickel is over its legal limit, at 114% of it.

0%25%50%75%limitLegal limitSelenium: 0.0004 mg/L, 1% of the 0.04 mg/L limitSelenium1%Manganese: 0.0006 mg/L, 1% of the 0.05 mg/L limitManganese1%Boron: 0.02 mg/L, 2% of the 1 mg/L limitBoron2%Copper: 0.06 mg/L, 3% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper3%Aluminium: 0.0082 mg/L, 4% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium4%Chromium: 0.0025 mg/L, 5% of the 0.05 mg/L limitChromium5%Antimony: 0.0003 mg/L, 6% of the 0.005 mg/L limitAntimony6%Mercury: 0.00007 mg/L, 7% of the 0.001 mg/L limitMercury7%Arsenic: 0.0007 mg/L, 7% of the 0.01 mg/L limitArsenic7%Cadmium: 0.0004 mg/L, 8% of the 0.005 mg/L limitCadmium8%Iron: 0.017 mg/L, 9% of the 0.2 mg/L limitIron9%Colour: 1.8 mg/L Pt/Co, 9% of the 20 mg/L Pt/Co limitColour9%Lead: 0.001 mg/L, 10% of the 0.01 mg/L limitLead10%Bromate: 0.001 mg/L, 10% of the 0.01 mg/L limitBromate10%Fluoride: 0.15 mg/L, 10% of the 1.5 mg/L limitFluoride10%Nitrate: 9.3 mg/L, 19% of the 50 mg/L limitNitrate19%Trihalomethanes: 0.02 mg/L, 20% of the 0.1 mg/L limitTrihalomethanes20%Nitrite: 0.19 mg/L, 38% of the 0.5 mg/L limitNitrite38%Nickel: 0.0228 mg/L, 114% of the 0.02 mg/L limitNickel114%
  1. Nickel114%
  2. Nitrite38%
  3. Trihalomethanes20%
  4. Nitrate19%
  5. Lead10%
  6. Bromate10%
  7. Fluoride10%
  8. Colour9%
  9. Iron9%
  10. Cadmium8%
  11. Mercury7%
  12. Arsenic7%
  13. Antimony6%
  14. Chromium5%
  15. Aluminium4%
  16. Copper3%
  17. Boron2%
  18. Manganese1%
  19. Selenium1%
  • Coliform Bacteria none found
  • E. coli none found
  • Conductivity 340 µS/cm
All 23 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Nickel0.0228 mg/L0.02 mg/L
114%
Coliform Bacteria0 count/100mlMust be zeroNone found
E. coli0 count/100mlMust be zeroNone found
Colour1.8 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
9%
Conductivity340 µS/cmNo legal limit–
Fluoride0.15 mg/L1.5 mg/L
10%
Nitrate9.3 mg/L50 mg/L
19%
Nitrite0.19 mg/L0.5 mg/L
38%
Hardness (as CaCO3)141 mg/LNo legal limit–
Aluminium0.0082 mg/L0.2 mg/L
4%
Antimony0.0003 mg/L0.005 mg/L
6%
Arsenic0.0007 mg/L0.01 mg/L
7%
Boron0.02 mg/L1 mg/L
2%
Cadmium0.0004 mg/L0.005 mg/L
8%
Chromium0.0025 mg/L0.05 mg/L
5%
Copper0.06 mg/L2 mg/L
3%
Iron0.017 mg/L0.2 mg/L
9%
Lead0.001 mg/L0.01 mg/L
10%
Manganese0.0006 mg/L0.05 mg/L
1%
Mercury0.00007 mg/L0.001 mg/L
7%
Selenium0.0004 mg/L0.04 mg/L
1%
Trihalomethanes0.02 mg/L0.1 mg/L
20%
Bromate0.001 mg/L0.01 mg/L
10%

141mg of limescale minerals in every litre

Middling hardness. Some scale, slowly

Below the point where a softener pays for itself. Descaling the kettle now and then is all most homes need.

Soft400 mg/L
Outside your tap

Your river is the Ock, rated bad

The Environment Agency rated the Ock as bad for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is severely damaged, with most of the expected wildlife missing. It is held back by fish. 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

GU8 in short

Tap water in GU8 (Waverley) is supplied by Thames Water in the Waverley Central zone and scores 8.8 out of 10, against an England and Wales average of 9.0. 1 of 23 tested substances was close to or over a limit. The latest sample is from 31 December 2025.

  • Nickel was measured at 0.023 mg/L, 14% over the UK limitIt is the only one of 23 tested substances to go over its limit. See the full results
  • 3rd cleanest of 7 areas tested in WaverleyOnly 2 areas in Waverley scored higher. The best is GU5 on 9.3.
  • Moderately hard water at 141 mg/LSome scale over time in GU8, but not enough to justify a softener for most homes. How hardness is measured

Next door

GU98.8 out of 10 · 204 mg/LGU59.3 out of 10 · 88 mg/LGU68.6 out of 10 · 225 mg/LGU77.8 out of 10 · 287 mg/LGU278.6 out of 10 · 225 mg/LGU108.9 out of 10 · 154 mg/L

Questions about GU8 water

Is GU8 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, GU8 (Waverley) water scores 8.8/10, which is safe. 1 of 23 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Thames Water.

What contaminants are in GU8 water?

We tested 23 contaminants in GU8 water. 1 were flagged, including Nickel.

Who supplies water in GU8?

GU8 (Waverley) is supplied by Thames Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.

Is GU8 water hard or soft?

Water in GU8 (Waverley) has a hardness of 141 mg/L CaCO3, which is classified as moderately hard. This is a moderate hardness level.

Should I use a water filter in GU8?

With 1 contaminant above recommended levels in GU8, a water filter could help. A filter jug or under-sink filter can reduce most common contaminants. See our filter recommendations for your area.

Are there PFAS forever chemicals in GU8 water?

No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for GU8, 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 GU8?

The Environment Agency rated the Ock as bad for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is severely damaged, with most of the expected wildlife missing. It is held back by fish. 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 GU8, which is treated before it reaches homes.

Keep reading

How to test your waterBest water filtersFilter shower headsWater testing kitsUK water rankingsWater hardness checkerWater hardness map

River and groundwater readings near GU8

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
pH8.3 pHNone
Temperature18.7 °CNone
Conductivity543 µS/cmNone
Nitrate3.3 mg/L50 mg/L
Nitrite0.015 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Phosphate0.046 mg/LNone
Dissolved Oxygen8.28 mg/LNone
Ammonia0.032 mg/L0.5 mg/L
PFAS (total)0.0014 µg/LNone

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We'll email you when water quality data changes for GU8.

Source: Thames Water 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