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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in ME12, SwaleSafe to drink.

Supplied by Southern Water. 21,493 samples, 22 substances, latest on 30 April 2026. Everything is inside the legal limit, and nothing comes close to it.

See the filter we recommendSee everything that was tested

9.5 / 10

The tank is as full as the score.

What to do about it

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What's in a glass of ME12 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.

Nitrate came closest to a limit, at 50% of it. 17 of 18 substances used under a quarter of theirs.

0%25%50%75%limitLegal limitCopper: 0.0057 mg/L, <1% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper<1%Antimony: 0.000029 mg/L, <1% of the 0.005 mg/L limitAntimony<1%Cadmium: 0.000031 mg/L, <1% of the 0.005 mg/L limitCadmium<1%Chromium: 0.00035 mg/L, <1% of the 0.05 mg/L limitChromium<1%Bromate: 0.00013 mg/L, 1% of the 0.01 mg/L limitBromate1%Arsenic: 0.00016 mg/L, 2% of the 0.01 mg/L limitArsenic2%Selenium: 0.00065 mg/L, 2% of the 0.04 mg/L limitSelenium2%Lead: 0.00018 mg/L, 2% of the 0.01 mg/L limitLead2%Nitrite: 0.009 mg/L, 2% of the 0.5 mg/L limitNitrite2%Turbidity: 0.13 NTU, 3% of the 4 NTU limitTurbidity3%Trihalomethanes: 0.00325 mg/L, 3% of the 0.1 mg/L limitTrihalomethanes3%Nickel: 0.00066 mg/L, 3% of the 0.02 mg/L limitNickel3%Manganese: 0.00178 mg/L, 4% of the 0.05 mg/L limitManganese4%Iron: 0.00928 mg/L, 5% of the 0.2 mg/L limitIron5%Aluminium: 0.0113 mg/L, 6% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium6%Ammonia: 0.039 mg/L, 8% of the 0.5 mg/L limitAmmonia8%Colour: 3 mg/L Pt/Co, 15% of the 20 mg/L Pt/Co limitColour15%Nitrate: 24.8 mg/L, 50% of the 50 mg/L limitNitrate50%
  1. Nitrate50%
  2. Colour15%
  3. Ammonia8%
  4. Aluminium6%
  5. Iron5%
  6. Manganese4%
  7. Nickel3%
  8. Turbidity3%
  9. Trihalomethanes3%
  10. Lead2%
  11. Nitrite2%
  12. Selenium2%
  13. Arsenic2%
  14. Bromate1%
  15. Chromium<1%
  16. Cadmium<1%
  17. Antimony<1%
  18. Copper<1%
  • Coliform Bacteria none found
  • E. coli none found
  • Conductivity 561 µS/cm
  • pH 7.3 pH
All 22 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Aluminium0.0113 mg/L0.2 mg/L
6%
Iron0.00928 mg/L0.2 mg/L
5%
Manganese0.00178 mg/L0.05 mg/L
4%
Coliform Bacteria0 count/100mlMust be zeroNone found
E. coli0 count/100mlMust be zeroNone found
Conductivity561 µS/cmNo legal limit–
pH7.3 pHNo legal limit–
Nitrate24.8 mg/L50 mg/L
50%
Lead0.00018 mg/L0.01 mg/L
2%
Turbidity0.13 NTU4 NTU
3%
Colour3 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
15%
Ammonia0.039 mg/L0.5 mg/L
8%
Copper0.0057 mg/L2 mg/L
<1%
Arsenic0.00016 mg/L0.01 mg/L
2%
Cadmium0.000031 mg/L0.005 mg/L
<1%
Chromium0.00035 mg/L0.05 mg/L
<1%
Nickel0.00066 mg/L0.02 mg/L
3%
Antimony0.000029 mg/L0.005 mg/L
<1%
Selenium0.00065 mg/L0.04 mg/L
2%
Trihalomethanes0.00325 mg/L0.1 mg/L
3%
Nitrite0.009 mg/L0.5 mg/L
2%
Bromate0.00013 mg/L0.01 mg/L
1%
Outside your tap

Your estuary is the Thames Lower, rated moderate

The Environment Agency rated the Thames Lower as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the estuary is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by nitrogen and seagrass and saltmarsh. 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

ME12 in short

Tap water in ME12 (Swale) is supplied by Southern Water in the Swale Central zone and scores 9.5 out of 10, against an England and Wales average of 9.0. None of the 22 tested substances came close to a limit. The latest sample is from 30 April 2026.

  • Nitrate is the reading closest to its limit, at 50% of the 50 mg/L maximumIt passed with room to spare, and everything else tested sat further below its limit. See every reading
  • 2nd cleanest of 5 areas tested in SwaleOnly 1 area in Swale scored higher. The best is ME10 on 9.5.
  • Scores higher than 3 of 4 neighbouring districtsWater here is typical for the immediate area, which usually means the same treatment works and the same supply zone.

Next door

ME109.5 out of 10ME98.8 out of 10ME119.4 out of 10ME139.3 out of 10

Questions about ME12 water

Is ME12 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, ME12 (Swale) water scores 9.5/10, which is safe. 0 of 22 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Southern Water.

What contaminants are in ME12 water?

We tested 22 contaminants in ME12 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels.

Who supplies water in ME12?

ME12 (Swale) is supplied by Southern Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.

Should I use a water filter in ME12?

ME12 water scored 9.5/10 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 ME12 water?

No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for ME12, 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 estuary near ME12?

The Environment Agency rated the Thames Lower as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the estuary is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by nitrogen and seagrass and saltmarsh. 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 estuary, not of tap water in ME12, 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 ME12

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
Lead0.031 mg/L0.01 mg/L
Ammonia0.8 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Nickel0.016 mg/L0.02 mg/L
Turbidity33 NTU4 NTU
pH7.68 pHNone
Temperature16.6 °CNone
Conductivity5302 µS/cmNone
Cadmium0.0002 mg/L0.005 mg/L
Hardness (as CaCO3)1050 mg/LNone
Phosphate0.67 mg/LNone
Chromium0.014 mg/L0.05 mg/L
Zinc0.0081 mg/LNone
Aluminium0.14 mg/L0.2 mg/L
Copper0.0023 mg/L2 mg/L
Nitrate22 mg/L50 mg/L
Nitrite0.014 mg/L0.5 mg/L

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Source: Southern 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