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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in LE1, LeicesterSafe to drink.

Supplied by Severn Trent. 642 samples, 20 substances, latest on 16 December 2025. Everything is inside the legal limit, and nothing comes close to it.

8.9 / 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 LE1 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 61% of it. 15 of 17 substances used under a quarter of theirs.

0%25%50%75%limitLegal limitCopper: 0.0068 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%Selenium: 0.00034 mg/L, <1% of the 0.04 mg/L limitSelenium<1%Cadmium: 0.00005 mg/L, 1% of the 0.005 mg/L limitCadmium1%Turbidity: 0.12 NTU, 3% of the 4 NTU limitTurbidity3%Arsenic: 0.00041 mg/L, 4% of the 0.01 mg/L limitArsenic4%Manganese: 0.00247 mg/L, 5% of the 0.05 mg/L limitManganese5%Antimony: 0.000256 mg/L, 5% of the 0.005 mg/L limitAntimony5%Colour: 1.2 mg/L Pt/Co, 6% of the 20 mg/L Pt/Co limitColour6%Nickel: 0.0019 mg/L, 10% of the 0.02 mg/L limitNickel10%Aluminium: 0.021 mg/L, 11% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium11%Lead: 0.00122 mg/L, 12% of the 0.01 mg/L limitLead12%Fluoride: 0.22 mg/L, 15% of the 1.5 mg/L limitFluoride15%Nitrate: 9.6 mg/L, 19% of the 50 mg/L limitNitrate19%Iron: 0.0535 mg/L, 27% of the 0.2 mg/L limitIron27%Trihalomethanes: 0.0613 mg/L, 61% of the 0.1 mg/L limitTrihalomethanes61%
  1. Trihalomethanes61%
  2. Iron27%
  3. Nitrate19%
  4. Fluoride15%
  5. Lead12%
  6. Aluminium11%
  7. Nickel10%
  8. Colour6%
  9. Antimony5%
  10. Manganese5%
  11. Arsenic4%
  12. Turbidity3%
  13. Cadmium1%
  14. Selenium<1%
  15. Chromium<1%
  16. Nitrite<1%
  17. Copper<1%
  • pH 7.32 pH
  • Conductivity 387 µS/cm
  • Phosphate 0.985 mg/L
All 20 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Turbidity0.12 NTU4 NTU
3%
Aluminium0.021 mg/L0.2 mg/L
11%
Colour1.2 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
6%
pH7.32 pHNo legal limit–
Manganese0.00247 mg/L0.05 mg/L
5%
Conductivity387 µS/cmNo legal limit–
Iron0.0535 mg/L0.2 mg/L
27%
Selenium0.00034 mg/L0.04 mg/L
<1%
Copper0.0068 mg/L2 mg/L
<1%
Fluoride0.22 mg/L1.5 mg/L
15%
Arsenic0.00041 mg/L0.01 mg/L
4%
Cadmium0.00005 mg/L0.005 mg/L
1%
Chromium0.00042 mg/L0.05 mg/L
<1%
Nickel0.0019 mg/L0.02 mg/L
10%
Lead0.00122 mg/L0.01 mg/L
12%
Antimony0.000256 mg/L0.005 mg/L
5%
Nitrate9.6 mg/L50 mg/L
19%
Nitrite0.003 mg/L0.5 mg/L
<1%
Trihalomethanes0.0613 mg/L0.1 mg/L
61%
Phosphate0.985 mg/LNo legal limit–
Outside your tap

Your river is the Soar from Sence to Rothley Brook, rated poor

The Environment Agency rated the Soar from Sence to Rothley Brook as poor for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is badly affected, with much of the expected wildlife missing. It is held back by water plants and algae, phosphate and temperature. 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

154

forever-chemical detections in nearby rivers and groundwater

At 6 sites. The highest was 6:2 FTSA at 0.03 µg/L, at Bradgate Brook at Newtown Linford, 8.5 km away, in September 2023. These are river and borehole samples, not tests of your tap water.

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

LE1 in short

Tap water in LE1 (Leicester) is supplied by Severn Trent in the Leicester Central zone and scores 8.9 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 16 December 2025.

  • Trihalomethanes is the reading closest to its limit, at 61% of the 0.1 mg/L maximumIt passed with room to spare, and everything else tested sat further below its limit. See every reading
  • 4th cleanest of 5 areas tested in Leicester1 area in Leicester scored lower. The best is LE2 on 9. Every area in Leicester
  • PFAS found at 6 monitoring sites within 10 kmThose are river and groundwater samples, not tap water. The highest was 6:2 FTSA about 8.5 km away. What was measured

Questions about LE1 water

Is LE1 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, LE1 (Leicester) water scores 8.9/10, which is safe. 0 of 20 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Severn Trent.

What contaminants are in LE1 water?

We tested 20 contaminants in LE1 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 LE1?

LE1 (Leicester) 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 LE1?

LE1 water scored 8.9/10 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 LE1 water?

The tap-water tests we hold for LE1 do not include a PFAS result. Environment Agency monitoring found PFAS in 154 river and groundwater samples from 6 sites within 10 km of LE1, the highest being 6:2 FTSA at 0.03 µg/L about 8.5 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 LE1?

The Environment Agency rated the Soar from Sence to Rothley Brook as poor for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is badly affected, with much of the expected wildlife missing. It is held back by water plants and algae, phosphate and temperature. 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 LE1, which is treated before it reaches homes.

Keep reading

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

River and groundwater readings near LE1

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
Ammonia0.6 mg/L0.5 mg/L
pH7.68 pHNone
Temperature15.4 °CNone
Nitrate0.46 mg/L50 mg/L
Nitrite0.11 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Phosphate0.23 mg/LNone
Dissolved Oxygen4.78 mg/LNone

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We'll email you when water quality data changes for LE1.

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