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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in ME9, SwaleIron is over the limit.

Supplied by Southern Water. 17,627 samples, 22 substances, latest on 30 April 2026. Iron came in above the legal limit. Everything else passed.

See the filter we recommendSee everything that was tested

8.8 / 10

The tank is as full as the score.

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What's in a glass of ME9 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.

Iron is over its legal limit, at 167% of it.

0%25%50%75%limitLegal limitCopper: 0.0059 mg/L, <1% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper<1%Nitrite: 0.004 mg/L, <1% of the 0.5 mg/L limitNitrite<1%Lead: 0.00009 mg/L, <1% of the 0.01 mg/L limitLead<1%Selenium: 0.0006 mg/L, 1% of the 0.04 mg/L limitSelenium1%Chromium: 0.001 mg/L, 2% of the 0.05 mg/L limitChromium2%Cadmium: 0.00012 mg/L, 2% of the 0.005 mg/L limitCadmium2%Trihalomethanes: 0.00367 mg/L, 4% of the 0.1 mg/L limitTrihalomethanes4%Antimony: 0.0003 mg/L, 6% of the 0.005 mg/L limitAntimony6%Aluminium: 0.0127 mg/L, 6% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium6%Bromate: 0.00078 mg/L, 8% of the 0.01 mg/L limitBromate8%Ammonia: 0.039 mg/L, 8% of the 0.5 mg/L limitAmmonia8%Arsenic: 0.001 mg/L, 10% of the 0.01 mg/L limitArsenic10%Colour: 3 mg/L Pt/Co, 15% of the 20 mg/L Pt/Co limitColour15%Manganese: 0.0146 mg/L, 29% of the 0.05 mg/L limitManganese29%Nitrate: 20.9 mg/L, 42% of the 50 mg/L limitNitrate42%Turbidity: 1.76 NTU, 44% of the 4 NTU limitTurbidity44%Nickel: 0.0108 mg/L, 54% of the 0.02 mg/L limitNickel54%Iron: 0.333 mg/L, 167% of the 0.2 mg/L limitIron167%
  1. Iron167%
  2. Nickel54%
  3. Turbidity44%
  4. Nitrate42%
  5. Manganese29%
  6. Colour15%
  7. Arsenic10%
  8. Bromate8%
  9. Ammonia8%
  10. Aluminium6%
  11. Antimony6%
  12. Trihalomethanes4%
  13. Cadmium2%
  14. Chromium2%
  15. Selenium1%
  16. Lead<1%
  17. Nitrite<1%
  18. Copper<1%
  • pH 7.4 pH
  • Coliform Bacteria none found
  • E. coli none found
  • Conductivity 529 µS/cm
All 22 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Iron0.333 mg/L0.2 mg/L
167%
Colour3 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
15%
Turbidity1.76 NTU4 NTU
44%
pH7.4 pHNo legal limit–
Coliform Bacteria0 count/100mlMust be zeroNone found
E. coli0 count/100mlMust be zeroNone found
Nitrate20.9 mg/L50 mg/L
42%
Lead0.00009 mg/L0.01 mg/L
<1%
Conductivity529 µS/cmNo legal limit–
Aluminium0.0127 mg/L0.2 mg/L
6%
Manganese0.0146 mg/L0.05 mg/L
29%
Ammonia0.039 mg/L0.5 mg/L
8%
Copper0.0059 mg/L2 mg/L
<1%
Trihalomethanes0.00367 mg/L0.1 mg/L
4%
Nitrite0.004 mg/L0.5 mg/L
<1%
Arsenic0.001 mg/L0.01 mg/L
10%
Cadmium0.00012 mg/L0.005 mg/L
2%
Chromium0.001 mg/L0.05 mg/L
2%
Nickel0.0108 mg/L0.02 mg/L
54%
Antimony0.0003 mg/L0.005 mg/L
6%
Selenium0.0006 mg/L0.04 mg/L
1%
Bromate0.00078 mg/L0.01 mg/L
8%
Outside your tap

Your estuary is the Swale, rated moderate

The Environment Agency rated the Swale 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

ME9 in short

Tap water in ME9 (Swale) is supplied by Southern Water in the Swale Central zone and scores 8.8 out of 10, against an England and Wales average of 9.0. 1 of 22 tested substances was close to or over a limit. The latest sample is from 30 April 2026.

  • Iron was measured at 0.33 mg/L, 67% over the UK limitIt is the only one of 22 tested substances to go over its limit. See the full results
  • The lowest score of the 5 areas tested in SwaleME9 scores 8.8 out of 10. The best in Swale, ME10, scores 9.5.
  • Every one of the 4 neighbouring districts scores higherME12 next door scores 9.5, against 8.8 here. Supply zones, not distance, explain the gap. See ME12

Next door

ME119.4 out of 10ME129.5 out of 10ME109.5 out of 10ME139.3 out of 10

Questions about ME9 water

Is ME9 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, ME9 (Swale) water scores 8.8/10, which is safe. 1 of 22 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Southern Water.

What contaminants are in ME9 water?

We tested 22 contaminants in ME9 water. 1 were flagged, including Iron.

Who supplies water in ME9?

ME9 (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 ME9?

With 1 contaminant above recommended levels in ME9, a water filter could help. A filter jug or under-sink filter can reduce most common contaminants. See our filter recommendations for your area.

Are there PFAS forever chemicals in ME9 water?

No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for ME9, 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 ME9?

The Environment Agency rated the Swale 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 ME9, 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 ME9

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
pH8.66 pHNone
Temperature18.2 °CNone
Conductivity1068 µS/cmNone
Phosphate0.34 mg/LNone
Dissolved Oxygen7.17 mg/LNone
Nitrate0.012 mg/L50 mg/L
Hardness (as CaCO3)359 mg/LNone
Zinc0.006 mg/LNone

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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