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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in ME3, MedwaySafe to drink.

Supplied by Southern Water. 22,887 samples, 23 substances, latest on 29 April 2026. Everything is inside the legal limit, and nothing comes close to it.

See the filter we recommendSee everything that was tested

9.3 / 10

The tank is as full as the score.

What to do about it

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What's in a glass of ME3 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. 17 of 19 substances used under a quarter of theirs.

0%25%50%75%limitLegal limitCopper: 0.0022 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%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%Turbidity: 0.13 NTU, 3% of the 4 NTU limitTurbidity3%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%Fluoride: 0.08 mg/L, 5% of the 1.5 mg/L limitFluoride5%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: 0.0203 mg/L, 10% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium10%Bromate: 0.00124 mg/L, 12% of the 0.01 mg/L limitBromate12%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. Bromate12%
  5. Aluminium10%
  6. Nickel8%
  7. Ammonia8%
  8. Fluoride5%
  9. Iron5%
  10. Manganese4%
  11. Turbidity3%
  12. Arsenic2%
  13. Antimony2%
  14. Nitrite2%
  15. Selenium1%
  16. Lead<1%
  17. Cadmium<1%
  18. Chromium<1%
  19. Copper<1%
  • Coliform Bacteria none found
  • E. coli none found
  • Conductivity 519 µS/cm
  • pH 8 pH
All 23 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Turbidity0.13 NTU4 NTU
3%
Aluminium0.0203 mg/L0.2 mg/L
10%
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
Ammonia0.039 mg/L0.5 mg/L
8%
Copper0.0022 mg/L2 mg/L
<1%
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%
Lead0.00009 mg/L0.01 mg/L
<1%
Antimony0.000099 mg/L0.005 mg/L
2%
Selenium0.00055 mg/L0.04 mg/L
1%
Conductivity519 µS/cmNo legal limit–
Trihalomethanes0.0254 mg/L0.1 mg/L
25%
Nitrate27 mg/L50 mg/L
54%
Nitrite0.009 mg/L0.5 mg/L
2%
pH8 pHNo legal limit–
Colour3 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
15%
Bromate0.00124 mg/L0.01 mg/L
12%
Fluoride0.08 mg/L1.5 mg/L
5%
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

ME3 in short

Tap water in ME3 (Medway) is supplied by Southern Water in the Medway Central zone and scores 9.3 out of 10, against an England and Wales average of 9.0. None of the 23 tested substances came close to a limit. The latest sample is from 29 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
  • 4th cleanest of 7 areas tested in MedwaySquarely mid-table for Medway, between ME8 on 9.5 and ME7 on 9.2.
  • Scores higher than 1 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

ME49.3 out of 10ME59.3 out of 10ME19.3 out of 10ME29.4 out of 10ME89.5 out of 10ME79.2 out of 10

Questions about ME3 water

Is ME3 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, ME3 (Medway) water scores 9.3/10, which is safe. 0 of 23 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Southern Water.

What contaminants are in ME3 water?

We tested 23 contaminants in ME3 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels.

Who supplies water in ME3?

ME3 (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 ME3?

ME3 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 ME3 water?

No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for ME3, 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 ME3?

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 ME3, 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 ME3

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
Lead0.00003 mg/L0.01 mg/L
Zinc0.014 mg/LNone
Nickel0.0048 mg/L0.02 mg/L
Manganese0.00072 mg/L0.05 mg/L
Copper0.0002 mg/L2 mg/L
Boron0.12 mg/L1 mg/L
pH8.27 pHNone
Temperature7 °CNone
Conductivity947 µS/cmNone
Ammonia0.049 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Nitrate9.56 mg/L50 mg/L
Nitrite0.0232 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Phosphate0.094 mg/LNone
Dissolved Oxygen11.2 mg/LNone
PFAS (total)0.00057 µg/LNone

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We'll email you when water quality data changes for ME3.

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