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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in NE23, NorthumberlandSafe to drink.Slightly hard.

Supplied by Northumbrian Water. 4,763 samples, 20 substances, latest on 16 December 2025. 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. The specks are the minerals that make water hard.

What to do about it

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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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Basic chlorine and taste improvement on a budget

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What's in a glass of NE23 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 60% of it. 17 of 18 substances used under a quarter of theirs.

0%25%50%75%limitLegal limitCadmium: 0.000022 mg/L, <1% of the 0.005 mg/L limitCadmium<1%Manganese: 0.0003 mg/L, <1% of the 0.05 mg/L limitManganese<1%Lead: 0.000065 mg/L, <1% of the 0.01 mg/L limitLead<1%Nitrite: 0.0061 mg/L, 1% of the 0.5 mg/L limitNitrite1%Boron: 0.013 mg/L, 1% of the 1 mg/L limitBoron1%Chromium: 0.00069 mg/L, 1% of the 0.05 mg/L limitChromium1%Arsenic: 0.00017 mg/L, 2% of the 0.01 mg/L limitArsenic2%Selenium: 0.00083 mg/L, 2% of the 0.04 mg/L limitSelenium2%Copper: 0.042 mg/L, 2% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper2%Iron: 0.0052 mg/L, 3% of the 0.2 mg/L limitIron3%Antimony: 0.00017 mg/L, 3% of the 0.005 mg/L limitAntimony3%Turbidity: 0.2 NTU, 5% of the 4 NTU limitTurbidity5%Bromate: 0.0005 mg/L, 5% of the 0.01 mg/L limitBromate5%Aluminium: 0.012 mg/L, 6% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium6%Nitrate: 3.5 mg/L, 7% of the 50 mg/L limitNitrate7%Colour: 1.5 mg/L Pt/Co, 8% of the 20 mg/L Pt/Co limitColour8%Nickel: 0.0019 mg/L, 10% of the 0.02 mg/L limitNickel10%Fluoride: 0.9 mg/L, 60% of the 1.5 mg/L limitFluoride60%
  1. Fluoride60%
  2. Nickel10%
  3. Colour8%
  4. Nitrate7%
  5. Aluminium6%
  6. Turbidity5%
  7. Bromate5%
  8. Antimony3%
  9. Iron3%
  10. Copper2%
  11. Selenium2%
  12. Arsenic2%
  13. Chromium1%
  14. Boron1%
  15. Nitrite1%
  16. Lead<1%
  17. Manganese<1%
  18. Cadmium<1%
  • Conductivity 290 µS/cm
  • pH 6.9 pH
All 20 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Conductivity290 µS/cmNo legal limit–
Aluminium0.012 mg/L0.2 mg/L
6%
Iron0.0052 mg/L0.2 mg/L
3%
Colour1.5 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
8%
Manganese0.0003 mg/L0.05 mg/L
<1%
pH6.9 pHNo legal limit–
Turbidity0.2 NTU4 NTU
5%
Nitrite0.0061 mg/L0.5 mg/L
1%
Fluoride0.9 mg/L1.5 mg/L
60%
Boron0.013 mg/L1 mg/L
1%
Arsenic0.00017 mg/L0.01 mg/L
2%
Antimony0.00017 mg/L0.005 mg/L
3%
Lead0.000065 mg/L0.01 mg/L
<1%
Nickel0.0019 mg/L0.02 mg/L
10%
Cadmium0.000022 mg/L0.005 mg/L
<1%
Bromate0.0005 mg/L0.01 mg/L
5%
Selenium0.00083 mg/L0.04 mg/L
2%
Nitrate3.5 mg/L50 mg/L
7%
Chromium0.00069 mg/L0.05 mg/L
1%
Copper0.042 mg/L2 mg/L
2%

158mg 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 Seaton Burn from Source to Tidal Limit, rated moderate

The Environment Agency rated the Seaton Burn from 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 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

NE23 in short

Tap water in NE23 (Northumberland) is supplied by Northumbrian Water in the Northumberland 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 16 December 2025.

  • Fluoride is the reading closest to its limit, at 60% of the 1.5 mg/L maximumIt passed with room to spare, and everything else tested sat further below its limit. See every reading
  • 22nd cleanest of 28 areas tested in Northumberland6 areas in Northumberland scored lower. The best is NE41 on 9.8.
  • Moderately hard water at 158 mg/LSome scale over time in NE23, 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/LNE229.5 out of 10 · 150 mg/L

Questions about NE23 water

Is NE23 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, NE23 (Northumberland) 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 NE23 water?

We tested 20 contaminants in NE23 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels.

Who supplies water in NE23?

NE23 (Northumberland) is supplied by Northumbrian Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.

Is NE23 water hard or soft?

Water in NE23 (Northumberland) has a hardness of 158 mg/L CaCO3, which is classified as moderately hard. This is a moderate hardness level.

Should I use a water filter in NE23?

NE23 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 NE23 water?

No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for NE23, 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 NE23?

The Environment Agency rated the Seaton Burn from 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 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 NE23, 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 NE23

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
Ammonia0.43 mg/L0.5 mg/L
pH8.37 pHNone
Temperature6.5 °CNone
Conductivity1038 µS/cmNone
Nitrate2.4 mg/L50 mg/L
Nitrite0.068 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Phosphate0.33 mg/LNone
Dissolved Oxygen12.9 mg/LNone

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We'll email you when water quality data changes for NE23.

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