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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in ME2, MedwaySafe to drink.

Supplied by Southern Water. 29,996 samples, 25 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

9.4 / 10

The tank is as full as the score.

What to do about it

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What's in a glass of ME2 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 54% of it. 19 of 21 substances used under a quarter of theirs.

0%25%50%75%limitLegal limitCopper: 0.0015 mg/L, <1% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper<1%Chromium: 0.00019 mg/L, <1% of the 0.05 mg/L limitChromium<1%Cadmium: 0.000031 mg/L, <1% of the 0.005 mg/L limitCadmium<1%Lead: 0.00009 mg/L, <1% of the 0.01 mg/L limitLead<1%Bromate: 0.00013 mg/L, 1% of the 0.01 mg/L limitBromate1%Selenium: 0.00055 mg/L, 1% of the 0.04 mg/L limitSelenium1%Nitrite: 0.009 mg/L, 2% of the 0.5 mg/L limitNitrite2%Antimony: 0.000099 mg/L, 2% of the 0.005 mg/L limitAntimony2%Arsenic: 0.0002 mg/L, 2% of the 0.01 mg/L limitArsenic2%Boron: 0.0319 mg/L, 3% of the 1 mg/L limitBoron3%Turbidity: 0.13 NTU, 3% of the 4 NTU limitTurbidity3%Manganese: 0.00184 mg/L, 4% of the 0.05 mg/L limitManganese4%Mercury: 0.00004 mg/L, 4% of the 0.001 mg/L limitMercury4%Fluoride: 0.09 mg/L, 6% of the 1.5 mg/L limitFluoride6%Iron: 0.0121 mg/L, 6% of the 0.2 mg/L limitIron6%Ammonia: 0.039 mg/L, 8% of the 0.5 mg/L limitAmmonia8%Nickel: 0.00165 mg/L, 8% of the 0.02 mg/L limitNickel8%Aluminium: 0.017 mg/L, 9% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium9%Colour: 3 mg/L Pt/Co, 15% of the 20 mg/L Pt/Co limitColour15%Trihalomethanes: 0.0254 mg/L, 25% of the 0.1 mg/L limitTrihalomethanes25%Nitrate: 27 mg/L, 54% of the 50 mg/L limitNitrate54%
  1. Nitrate54%
  2. Trihalomethanes25%
  3. Colour15%
  4. Aluminium9%
  5. Nickel8%
  6. Ammonia8%
  7. Iron6%
  8. Fluoride6%
  9. Mercury4%
  10. Manganese4%
  11. Turbidity3%
  12. Boron3%
  13. Arsenic2%
  14. Antimony2%
  15. Nitrite2%
  16. Selenium1%
  17. Bromate1%
  18. Lead<1%
  19. Cadmium<1%
  20. Chromium<1%
  21. Copper<1%
  • pH 7.5 pH
  • Coliform Bacteria none found
  • E. coli none found
  • Conductivity 509 µS/cm
All 25 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Colour3 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
15%
Turbidity0.13 NTU4 NTU
3%
pH7.5 pHNo legal limit–
Iron0.0121 mg/L0.2 mg/L
6%
Manganese0.00184 mg/L0.05 mg/L
4%
Coliform Bacteria0 count/100mlMust be zeroNone found
E. coli0 count/100mlMust be zeroNone found
Aluminium0.017 mg/L0.2 mg/L
9%
Nitrate27 mg/L50 mg/L
54%
Lead0.00009 mg/L0.01 mg/L
<1%
Conductivity509 µS/cmNo legal limit–
Ammonia0.039 mg/L0.5 mg/L
8%
Copper0.0015 mg/L2 mg/L
<1%
Nitrite0.009 mg/L0.5 mg/L
2%
Arsenic0.0002 mg/L0.01 mg/L
2%
Cadmium0.000031 mg/L0.005 mg/L
<1%
Chromium0.00019 mg/L0.05 mg/L
<1%
Nickel0.00165 mg/L0.02 mg/L
8%
Antimony0.000099 mg/L0.005 mg/L
2%
Selenium0.00055 mg/L0.04 mg/L
1%
Trihalomethanes0.0254 mg/L0.1 mg/L
25%
Bromate0.00013 mg/L0.01 mg/L
1%
Fluoride0.09 mg/L1.5 mg/L
6%
Mercury0.00004 mg/L0.001 mg/L
4%
Boron0.0319 mg/L1 mg/L
3%
Outside your tap

Your estuary is the Medway, rated moderate

The Environment Agency rated the Medway 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

ME2 in short

Tap water in ME2 (Medway) is supplied by Southern Water in the Medway Central zone and scores 9.4 out of 10, against an England and Wales average of 9.0. None of the 25 tested substances came close to a limit. The latest sample is from 30 April 2026.

  • Nitrate is the reading closest to its limit, at 54% 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 7 areas tested in MedwayOnly 1 area in Medway scored higher. The best is ME8 on 9.5.
  • Scores higher than 5 of 6 neighbouring districtsWater here is typical for the immediate area, which usually means the same treatment works and the same supply zone.

Next door

ME39.3 out of 10ME49.3 out of 10ME19.3 out of 10ME79.2 out of 10ME59.3 out of 10ME89.5 out of 10

Questions about ME2 water

Is ME2 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, ME2 (Medway) water scores 9.4/10, which is safe. 0 of 25 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Southern Water.

What contaminants are in ME2 water?

We tested 25 contaminants in ME2 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels.

Who supplies water in ME2?

ME2 (Medway) 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 ME2?

ME2 water scored 9.4/10 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 ME2 water?

No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for ME2, 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 ME2?

The Environment Agency rated the Medway 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 ME2, 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 ME2

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
Ammonia9.74 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Lead0.00001 mg/L0.01 mg/L
Zinc0.0014 mg/LNone
Nickel0.0011 mg/L0.02 mg/L
Manganese0.0058 mg/L0.05 mg/L
Copper0.00008 mg/L2 mg/L
Boron0.11 mg/L1 mg/L
Dissolved Oxygen10.6 mg/LNone
pH7.86 pHNone
Temperature7.6 °CNone
Conductivity783 µS/cmNone
Nitrate11.9 mg/L50 mg/L
Nitrite0.0101 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Phosphate0.031 mg/LNone
Cadmium0.00059 mg/L0.005 mg/L
PFAS (total)0.0012 µg/LNone

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We'll email you when water quality data changes for ME2.

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