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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in LE3, LeicesterSafe to drink.

Supplied by Severn Trent. 2,095 samples, 20 substances, latest on 20 December 2025. Everything is inside the legal limit, and nothing comes close to it.

See the filter we recommendSee everything that was tested

8.7 / 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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High-volume under-sink filtration without RO complexity

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Basic chlorine and taste improvement on a budget

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What's in a glass of LE3 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 49% of it. 15 of 17 substances used under a quarter of theirs.

0%25%50%75%limitLegal limitNitrite: 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%Copper: 0.017 mg/L, <1% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper<1%Selenium: 0.00048 mg/L, 1% of the 0.04 mg/L limitSelenium1%Arsenic: 0.00014 mg/L, 1% of the 0.01 mg/L limitArsenic1%Turbidity: 0.12 NTU, 3% of the 4 NTU limitTurbidity3%Cadmium: 0.00015 mg/L, 3% of the 0.005 mg/L limitCadmium3%Manganese: 0.00196 mg/L, 4% of the 0.05 mg/L limitManganese4%Antimony: 0.000224 mg/L, 4% of the 0.005 mg/L limitAntimony4%Colour: 1.1 mg/L Pt/Co, 6% of the 20 mg/L Pt/Co limitColour6%Iron: 0.0131 mg/L, 7% of the 0.2 mg/L limitIron7%Nickel: 0.0021 mg/L, 11% of the 0.02 mg/L limitNickel11%Aluminium: 0.021 mg/L, 11% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium11%Fluoride: 0.24 mg/L, 16% of the 1.5 mg/L limitFluoride16%Nitrate: 11.3 mg/L, 23% of the 50 mg/L limitNitrate23%Lead: 0.0047 mg/L, 47% of the 0.01 mg/L limitLead47%Trihalomethanes: 0.0487 mg/L, 49% of the 0.1 mg/L limitTrihalomethanes49%
  1. Trihalomethanes49%
  2. Lead47%
  3. Nitrate23%
  4. Fluoride16%
  5. Nickel11%
  6. Aluminium11%
  7. Iron7%
  8. Colour6%
  9. Antimony4%
  10. Manganese4%
  11. Turbidity3%
  12. Cadmium3%
  13. Arsenic1%
  14. Selenium1%
  15. Copper<1%
  16. Chromium<1%
  17. Nitrite<1%
  • pH 7.16 pH
  • Conductivity 354 µS/cm
  • Phosphate 0.975 mg/L
All 20 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Aluminium0.021 mg/L0.2 mg/L
11%
Colour1.1 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
6%
Iron0.0131 mg/L0.2 mg/L
7%
pH7.16 pHNo legal limit–
Turbidity0.12 NTU4 NTU
3%
Nitrate11.3 mg/L50 mg/L
23%
Nitrite0.003 mg/L0.5 mg/L
<1%
Manganese0.00196 mg/L0.05 mg/L
4%
Copper0.017 mg/L2 mg/L
<1%
Conductivity354 µS/cmNo legal limit–
Fluoride0.24 mg/L1.5 mg/L
16%
Arsenic0.00014 mg/L0.01 mg/L
1%
Cadmium0.00015 mg/L0.005 mg/L
3%
Chromium0.00042 mg/L0.05 mg/L
<1%
Nickel0.0021 mg/L0.02 mg/L
11%
Lead0.0047 mg/L0.01 mg/L
47%
Antimony0.000224 mg/L0.005 mg/L
4%
Selenium0.00048 mg/L0.04 mg/L
1%
Trihalomethanes0.0487 mg/L0.1 mg/L
49%
Phosphate0.975 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, 6.7 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

LE3 in short

Tap water in LE3 (Leicester) is supplied by Severn Trent in the Leicester Central zone and scores 8.7 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 20 December 2025.

  • The lowest score of the 5 areas tested in LeicesterLE3 scores 8.7 out of 10. The best in Leicester, LE2, scores 9. Every area in Leicester
  • Every one of the 5 neighbouring districts scores higherLE2 next door scores 9, against 8.7 here. Supply zones, not distance, explain the gap. See LE2
  • Trihalomethanes is the reading closest to its limit, at 49% of the 0.1 mg/L maximumIt passed with room to spare, and everything else tested sat further below its limit. See every reading

Next door

LE29.0 out of 10LE18.9 out of 10LE59.0 out of 10LE219.0 out of 10LE199.0 out of 10

Questions about LE3 water

Is LE3 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, LE3 (Leicester) water scores 8.7/10, which is safe. 0 of 20 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Severn Trent.

What contaminants are in LE3 water?

We tested 20 contaminants in LE3 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 LE3?

LE3 (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 LE3?

LE3 water scored 8.7/10 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 LE3 water?

The tap-water tests we hold for LE3 do not include a PFAS result. Environment Agency monitoring found PFAS in 154 river and groundwater samples from 6 sites within 10 km of LE3, the highest being 6:2 FTSA at 0.03 µg/L about 6.7 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 LE3?

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 LE3, 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 LE3

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
pH8.13 pHNone
Temperature5.5 °CNone
Ammonia0.25 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Nitrate8.6 mg/L50 mg/L
Nitrite0.11 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Phosphate0.24 mg/LNone
Dissolved Oxygen11.7 mg/LNone
Conductivity842 µS/cmNone

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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