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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in ME14, MaidstoneSafe to drink.

Supplied by Southern Water. 710 samples, 16 substances, latest on 30 April 2026. Everything is inside the legal limit, and nothing comes close to it.

9.3 / 10

The tank is as full as the score.

What to do about it

ZeroWater 12-Cup Ready-Pour

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£40typical price

Households concerned about PFAS and heavy metals

Waterdrop 10UA Under Sink

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High-volume under-sink filtration without RO complexity

BRITA Marella XL + MAXTRA PRO

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£25typical price

Basic chlorine and taste improvement on a budget

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What's in a glass of ME14 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 40% of it. 10 of 12 substances used under a quarter of theirs.

0%25%50%75%limitLegal limitNitrite: 0.002 mg/L, <1% of the 0.5 mg/L limitNitrite<1%Copper: 0.0121 mg/L, <1% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper<1%Lead: 0.00009 mg/L, <1% of the 0.01 mg/L limitLead<1%Manganese: 0.00069 mg/L, 1% of the 0.05 mg/L limitManganese1%Ammonia: 0.008 mg/L, 2% of the 0.5 mg/L limitAmmonia2%Iron: 0.00372 mg/L, 2% of the 0.2 mg/L limitIron2%Aluminium: 0.0069 mg/L, 3% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium3%Turbidity: 0.22 NTU, 6% of the 4 NTU limitTurbidity6%Nickel: 0.00179 mg/L, 9% of the 0.02 mg/L limitNickel9%Colour: 3 mg/L Pt/Co, 15% of the 20 mg/L Pt/Co limitColour15%Trihalomethanes: 0.0288 mg/L, 29% of the 0.1 mg/L limitTrihalomethanes29%Nitrate: 20.1 mg/L, 40% of the 50 mg/L limitNitrate40%
  1. Nitrate40%
  2. Trihalomethanes29%
  3. Colour15%
  4. Nickel9%
  5. Turbidity6%
  6. Aluminium3%
  7. Iron2%
  8. Ammonia2%
  9. Manganese1%
  10. Lead<1%
  11. Copper<1%
  12. Nitrite<1%
  • pH 7.4 pH
  • Coliform Bacteria none found
  • E. coli none found
  • Conductivity 450 µS/cm
All 16 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Turbidity0.22 NTU4 NTU
6%
Iron0.00372 mg/L0.2 mg/L
2%
Colour3 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
15%
pH7.4 pHNo legal limit–
Aluminium0.0069 mg/L0.2 mg/L
3%
Manganese0.00069 mg/L0.05 mg/L
1%
Coliform Bacteria0 count/100mlMust be zeroNone found
E. coli0 count/100mlMust be zeroNone found
Nitrate20.1 mg/L50 mg/L
40%
Nitrite0.002 mg/L0.5 mg/L
<1%
Lead0.00009 mg/L0.01 mg/L
<1%
Conductivity450 µS/cmNo legal limit–
Ammonia0.008 mg/L0.5 mg/L
2%
Copper0.0121 mg/L2 mg/L
<1%
Trihalomethanes0.0288 mg/L0.1 mg/L
29%
Nickel0.00179 mg/L0.02 mg/L
9%
Outside your tap

Your river is the Len, rated moderate

The Environment Agency rated the Len as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. 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

ME14 in short

Tap water in ME14 (Maidstone) is supplied by Southern Water in the Maidstone Central zone and scores 9.3 out of 10, against an England and Wales average of 9.0. None of the 16 tested substances came close to a limit. The latest sample is from 30 April 2026.

  • Nitrate is the reading closest to its limit, at 40% 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 6 areas tested in MaidstoneOnly 1 area in Maidstone scored higher. The best is ME15 on 9.4.
  • Scores higher than 3 of 5 neighbouring districtsWater here is typical for the immediate area, which usually means the same treatment works and the same supply zone.

Questions about ME14 water

Is ME14 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, ME14 (Maidstone) water scores 9.3/10, which is safe. 0 of 16 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Southern Water.

What contaminants are in ME14 water?

We tested 16 contaminants in ME14 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels.

Who supplies water in ME14?

ME14 (Maidstone) 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 ME14?

ME14 water scored 9.3/10 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 ME14 water?

No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for ME14, 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 ME14?

The Environment Agency rated the Len as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. 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 ME14, 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 ME14

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
Dissolved Oxygen6.74 mg/LNone
pH8.16 pHNone
Temperature13.2 °CNone
Conductivity647 µS/cmNone
Ammonia0.11 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Nitrate5.6 mg/L50 mg/L
Nitrite0.039 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Phosphate0.06 mg/LNone
Copper0.0022 mg/L2 mg/L
Zinc0.0242 mg/LNone

Get alerts for your area

We'll email you when water quality data changes for ME14.

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