Tap water in NE15, Newcastle upon TyneSafe to drink.Slightly hard.
Supplied by Northumbrian Water. 5,834 samples, 20 substances, latest on 17 December 2025. Everything is inside the legal limit, and nothing comes close to it.
9.3 / 10
The tank is as full as the score. The specks are the minerals that make water hard.
What to do about it
ZeroWater 12-Cup Ready-Pour
£40typical price
Households concerned about PFAS and heavy metals
Waterdrop 10UA Under Sink
£70typical price
High-volume under-sink filtration without RO complexity
BRITA Marella XL + MAXTRA PRO
£25typical price
Basic chlorine and taste improvement on a budget
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What's in a glass of NE15 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.
Fluoride came closest to a limit, at 58% of it. 17 of 18 substances used under a quarter of theirs.
- Fluoride58%
- Nitrate13%
- Colour10%
- Aluminium9%
- Turbidity5%
- Bromate5%
- Nickel4%
- Antimony3%
- Iron3%
- Selenium2%
- Boron2%
- Arsenic1%
- Chromium1%
- Manganese1%
- Nitrite1%
- Lead<1%
- Cadmium<1%
- Copper<1%
- Conductivity 400 µS/cm
- pH 7.9 pH
All 20 results as a table
| Substance | Result | Legal limit | Share of limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iron | 0.0052 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 3% |
| Turbidity | 0.2 NTU | 4 NTU | 5% |
| Conductivity | 400 µS/cm | No legal limit | – |
| pH | 7.9 pH | No legal limit | – |
| Colour | 1.9 mg/L Pt/Co | 20 mg/L Pt/Co | 10% |
| Aluminium | 0.019 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 9% |
| Manganese | 0.00065 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | 1% |
| Arsenic | 0.00015 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 1% |
| Copper | 0.0016 mg/L | 2 mg/L | <1% |
| Chromium | 0.00067 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | 1% |
| Fluoride | 0.87 mg/L | 1.5 mg/L | 58% |
| Bromate | 0.0005 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 5% |
| Boron | 0.02 mg/L | 1 mg/L | 2% |
| Antimony | 0.00016 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | 3% |
| Nitrite | 0.0061 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L | 1% |
| Nickel | 0.00077 mg/L | 0.02 mg/L | 4% |
| Cadmium | 0.000018 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | <1% |
| Selenium | 0.00083 mg/L | 0.04 mg/L | 2% |
| Lead | 0.000065 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | <1% |
| Nitrate | 6.5 mg/L | 50 mg/L | 13% |
150mg of limescale minerals in every litre
Middling hardness. Some scale, slowly
Below the point where a softener pays for itself. Descaling the kettle now and then is all most homes need.
Your river is the New Burn (Trib of Tyne), rated moderate
The Environment Agency rated the New Burn (Trib of Tyne) as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by insects and other small river life and phosphate. 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
102
forever-chemical detections in nearby rivers and groundwater
At 4 sites. The highest was 6:2 FTSA at 0.023 µg/L, at Med Burn at Medburn, 7.0 km away, in January 2025. These are river and borehole samples, not tests of your tap water.
Every PFAS sample around Newcastle · Which filters remove PFAS · PFAS explained
NE15 in short
Tap water in NE15 (Newcastle upon Tyne) is supplied by Northumbrian Water in the Newcastle upon Tyne Central zone and scores 9.3 out of 10, against an England and Wales average of 9.0. None of the 20 tested substances came close to a limit. The latest sample is from 17 December 2025.
- Fluoride is the reading closest to its limit, at 58% of the 1.5 mg/L maximumIt passed with room to spare, and everything else tested sat further below its limit. See every reading
- 5th cleanest of 9 areas tested in NewcastleSquarely mid-table for Newcastle, between NE7 on 9.6 and NE6 on 9.2. Every area in Newcastle
- PFAS found at 4 monitoring sites within 10 kmThose are river and groundwater samples, not tap water. The highest was 6:2 FTSA about 7 km away. What was measured
Questions about NE15 water
Is NE15 tap water safe to drink?
Based on the latest tests, NE15 (Newcastle upon Tyne) water scores 9.3/10, which is safe. 0 of 20 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Northumbrian Water.
What contaminants are in NE15 water?
We tested 20 contaminants in NE15 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels. PFAS (forever chemicals) were also measured in rivers and groundwater within 10 km, though not in the tap-water tests themselves.
Who supplies water in NE15?
NE15 (Newcastle upon Tyne) is supplied by Northumbrian Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.
Is NE15 water hard or soft?
Water in NE15 (Newcastle upon Tyne) has a hardness of 150 mg/L CaCO3, which is classified as moderately hard. This is a moderate hardness level.
Should I use a water filter in NE15?
NE15 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 NE15 water?
The tap-water tests we hold for NE15 do not include a PFAS result. Environment Agency monitoring found PFAS in 102 river and groundwater samples from 4 sites within 10 km of NE15, the highest being 6:2 FTSA at 0.023 µg/L about 7 km away. These are environmental samples, not tests of tap water. The UK currently has no legal limit for PFAS in drinking water; the Drinking Water Inspectorate uses a 0.1 µg/L guideline for individual compounds. Reverse osmosis filters can reduce PFAS levels.
How clean is the river near NE15?
The Environment Agency rated the New Burn (Trib of Tyne) as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by insects and other small river life and phosphate. 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 NE15, which is treated before it reaches homes.
Keep reading
- Best Filter for PFAS RemovalThe filters with independent certification to remove forever chemicals
- PFAS Forever ChemicalsWhat PFAS are and how to reduce your exposure at home
- Is UK Tap Water Safe?Everything you need to know about tap water safety in the UK
- Best Water Filters UKEvery filter type compared on what it actually removes
PFAS explainedHow to test your waterBest water filtersFilter shower headsWater testing kitsAll of NewcastleUK water rankingsWater hardness checkerWater hardness map
River and groundwater readings near NE15
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.
| Substance | Reading | Drinking water limit |
|---|---|---|
| Manganese | 0.117 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L |
| Iron | 0.649 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L |
| pH | 8.14 pH | None |
| Temperature | 12.2 °C | None |
| Conductivity | 1042 µS/cm | None |
| Nitrate | 1.2 mg/L | 50 mg/L |
| Nitrite | 0.014 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L |
| Phosphate | 0.03 mg/L | None |
| Dissolved Oxygen | 10.9 mg/L | None |
| Ammonia | 0.055 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L |
| Hardness (as CaCO3) | 197 mg/L | None |
| Copper | 0.00203 mg/L | 2 mg/L |
| Zinc | 0.0889 mg/L | None |
Get alerts for your area
We'll email you when water quality data changes for NE15.