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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in NE22, NorthumberlandSafe to drink.Slightly hard.

Supplied by Northumbrian Water. 2,734 samples, 20 substances, latest on 18 December 2025. Everything is inside the legal limit, and nothing comes close to it.

See the filter we recommendSee everything that was tested

9.5 / 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

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£40typical price

Households concerned about PFAS and heavy metals

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Waterdrop 10UA Under Sink

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High-volume under-sink filtration without RO complexity

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BRITA Marella XL + MAXTRA PRO

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Basic chlorine and taste improvement on a budget

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What's in a glass of NE22 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.

Lead came closest to a limit, at 20% of it. 18 of 18 substances used under a quarter of theirs.

0%25%50%75%limitLegal limitCopper: 0.0058 mg/L, <1% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper<1%Cadmium: 0.000018 mg/L, <1% of the 0.005 mg/L limitCadmium<1%Manganese: 0.00048 mg/L, <1% of the 0.05 mg/L limitManganese<1%Boron: 0.011 mg/L, 1% of the 1 mg/L limitBoron1%Nitrite: 0.0061 mg/L, 1% of the 0.5 mg/L limitNitrite1%Chromium: 0.00067 mg/L, 1% of the 0.05 mg/L limitChromium1%Arsenic: 0.00015 mg/L, 1% of the 0.01 mg/L limitArsenic1%Selenium: 0.00083 mg/L, 2% of the 0.04 mg/L limitSelenium2%Antimony: 0.00016 mg/L, 3% of the 0.005 mg/L limitAntimony3%Nitrate: 1.8 mg/L, 4% of the 50 mg/L limitNitrate4%Fluoride: 0.066 mg/L, 4% of the 1.5 mg/L limitFluoride4%Turbidity: 0.2 NTU, 5% of the 4 NTU limitTurbidity5%Bromate: 0.0005 mg/L, 5% of the 0.01 mg/L limitBromate5%Nickel: 0.0011 mg/L, 6% of the 0.02 mg/L limitNickel6%Aluminium: 0.012 mg/L, 6% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium6%Iron: 0.014 mg/L, 7% of the 0.2 mg/L limitIron7%Colour: 2.7 mg/L Pt/Co, 14% of the 20 mg/L Pt/Co limitColour14%Lead: 0.002 mg/L, 20% of the 0.01 mg/L limitLead20%
  1. Lead20%
  2. Colour14%
  3. Iron7%
  4. Aluminium6%
  5. Nickel6%
  6. Turbidity5%
  7. Bromate5%
  8. Fluoride4%
  9. Nitrate4%
  10. Antimony3%
  11. Selenium2%
  12. Arsenic1%
  13. Chromium1%
  14. Nitrite1%
  15. Boron1%
  16. Manganese<1%
  17. Cadmium<1%
  18. Copper<1%
  • Conductivity 280 µS/cm
  • pH 7.1 pH
All 20 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Colour2.7 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
14%
Manganese0.00048 mg/L0.05 mg/L
<1%
Turbidity0.2 NTU4 NTU
5%
Iron0.014 mg/L0.2 mg/L
7%
Conductivity280 µS/cmNo legal limit–
Aluminium0.012 mg/L0.2 mg/L
6%
pH7.1 pHNo legal limit–
Boron0.011 mg/L1 mg/L
1%
Bromate0.0005 mg/L0.01 mg/L
5%
Chromium0.00067 mg/L0.05 mg/L
1%
Selenium0.00083 mg/L0.04 mg/L
2%
Nitrite0.0061 mg/L0.5 mg/L
1%
Antimony0.00016 mg/L0.005 mg/L
3%
Fluoride0.066 mg/L1.5 mg/L
4%
Cadmium0.000018 mg/L0.005 mg/L
<1%
Arsenic0.00015 mg/L0.01 mg/L
1%
Lead0.002 mg/L0.01 mg/L
20%
Copper0.0058 mg/L2 mg/L
<1%
Nickel0.0011 mg/L0.02 mg/L
6%
Nitrate1.8 mg/L50 mg/L
4%

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.

Soft400 mg/L
Outside your tap

Your river is the Sleek Burn / Hepscott Burn Source to Tidal Limit, rated moderate

The Environment Agency rated the Sleek Burn / Hepscott Burn Source to Tidal Limit as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by fish. 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

NE22 in short

Tap water in NE22 (Northumberland) is supplied by Northumbrian Water in the Northumberland Central zone and scores 9.5 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 18 December 2025.

  • 7th cleanest of 28 areas tested in NorthumberlandOnly 6 areas in Northumberland scored higher. The best is NE41 on 9.8.
  • Nothing tested came within 40% of its legal limitThe highest was Lead at 20% of the 0.01 mg/L maximum. See every reading
  • Moderately hard water at 150 mg/LSome scale over time in NE22, but not enough to justify a softener for most homes. How hardness is measured

Next door

NE209.3 out of 10 · 138 mg/LCA99.4 out of 10 · 8 mg/LNE669.5 out of 10 · 168 mg/LNE699.3 out of 10 · 168 mg/LNE719.4 out of 10 · 135 mg/LNE709.3 out of 10 · 168 mg/LNE689.3 out of 10 · 168 mg/LNE469.4 out of 10 · 103 mg/LNE199.4 out of 10 · 153 mg/LNE239.3 out of 10 · 158 mg/L

Questions about NE22 water

Is NE22 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, NE22 (Northumberland) water scores 9.5/10, which is safe. 0 of 20 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Northumbrian Water.

What contaminants are in NE22 water?

We tested 20 contaminants in NE22 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels.

Who supplies water in NE22?

NE22 (Northumberland) is supplied by Northumbrian Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.

Is NE22 water hard or soft?

Water in NE22 (Northumberland) 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 NE22?

NE22 water scored 9.5/10 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 NE22 water?

No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for NE22, 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 NE22?

The Environment Agency rated the Sleek Burn / Hepscott Burn Source to Tidal Limit as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by fish. 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 NE22, 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 NE22

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
Manganese0.26 mg/L0.05 mg/L
Iron0.21 mg/L0.2 mg/L
pH8.17 pHNone
Temperature15.5 °CNone
Conductivity564 µS/cmNone
Nitrate3.7 mg/L50 mg/L
Nitrite0.014 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Phosphate0.032 mg/LNone
Dissolved Oxygen9.06 mg/LNone
Zinc0.0035 mg/LNone
Nickel0.0026 mg/L0.02 mg/L
Turbidity2.3 NTU4 NTU
Copper0.0018 mg/L2 mg/L
Ammonia0.034 mg/L0.5 mg/L
PFAS (total)0.0069 µg/LNone

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Source: Northumbrian 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