Tap water in NE38, SunderlandSafe to drink.Slightly hard.
Supplied by Northumbrian Water. 3,792 samples, 20 substances, latest on 16 December 2025. Everything is inside the legal limit, and nothing comes close to it.
9.4 / 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 NE38 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 44% of it. 17 of 18 substances used under a quarter of theirs.
- Fluoride44%
- Colour8%
- Nitrate7%
- Nickel7%
- Aluminium7%
- Lead6%
- Turbidity5%
- Bromate5%
- Iron4%
- Antimony3%
- Selenium2%
- Arsenic2%
- Chromium2%
- Manganese2%
- Boron1%
- Nitrite1%
- Cadmium<1%
- Copper<1%
- Conductivity 170 µS/cm
- pH 7.7 pH
All 20 results as a table
| Substance | Result | Legal limit | Share of limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fluoride | 0.66 mg/L | 1.5 mg/L | 44% |
| Conductivity | 170 µS/cm | No legal limit | – |
| Colour | 1.6 mg/L Pt/Co | 20 mg/L Pt/Co | 8% |
| Cadmium | 0.000018 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | <1% |
| Chromium | 0.00085 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | 2% |
| Nickel | 0.0014 mg/L | 0.02 mg/L | 7% |
| Selenium | 0.00083 mg/L | 0.04 mg/L | 2% |
| Copper | 0.0063 mg/L | 2 mg/L | <1% |
| Turbidity | 0.2 NTU | 4 NTU | 5% |
| Aluminium | 0.013 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 7% |
| Nitrite | 0.0061 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L | 1% |
| Manganese | 0.00079 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | 2% |
| Bromate | 0.0005 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 5% |
| Iron | 0.0076 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 4% |
| Lead | 0.00057 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 6% |
| pH | 7.7 pH | No legal limit | – |
| Antimony | 0.00016 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | 3% |
| Nitrate | 3.7 mg/L | 50 mg/L | 7% |
| Arsenic | 0.00018 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 2% |
| Boron | 0.014 mg/L | 1 mg/L | 1% |
148mg 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 Don from Source to Tidal Limit, rated moderate
The Environment Agency rated the Don 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 fish, 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
125
forever-chemical detections in nearby rivers and groundwater
At 4 sites. The highest was 6:2 FTSA at 0.029 µg/L, at Don at Jarrow Cemetery, 9.3 km away, in January 2026. These are river and borehole samples, not tests of your tap water.
Every PFAS sample around Newcastle · Which filters remove PFAS · PFAS explained
NE38 in short
Tap water in NE38 (Sunderland) is supplied by Northumbrian Water in the Sunderland Central zone and scores 9.4 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.
- 8th cleanest of 10 areas tested in Sunderland2 areas in Sunderland scored lower. The best is SR5 on 9.7. Every area in Sunderland
- Fluoride is the reading closest to its limit, at 44% of the 1.5 mg/L maximumIt passed with room to spare, and everything else tested sat further below its limit. See every reading
- PFAS found at 4 monitoring sites within 10 kmThose are river and groundwater samples, not tap water. The highest was 6:2 FTSA about 9.3 km away. What was measured
Questions about NE38 water
Is NE38 tap water safe to drink?
Based on the latest tests, NE38 (Sunderland) water scores 9.4/10, which is safe. 0 of 20 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Northumbrian Water.
What contaminants are in NE38 water?
We tested 20 contaminants in NE38 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 NE38?
NE38 (Sunderland) is supplied by Northumbrian Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.
Is NE38 water hard or soft?
Water in NE38 (Sunderland) has a hardness of 148 mg/L CaCO3, which is classified as moderately hard. This is a moderate hardness level.
Should I use a water filter in NE38?
NE38 water scored 9.4/10 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 NE38 water?
The tap-water tests we hold for NE38 do not include a PFAS result. Environment Agency monitoring found PFAS in 125 river and groundwater samples from 4 sites within 10 km of NE38, the highest being 6:2 FTSA at 0.029 µg/L about 9.3 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 NE38?
The Environment Agency rated the Don 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 fish, 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 NE38, 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 SunderlandUK water rankingsWater hardness checkerWater hardness map
River and groundwater readings near NE38
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Ammonia | 0.53 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L |
| Iron | 0.748 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L |
| pH | 7.85 pH | None |
| Temperature | 14.4 °C | None |
| Conductivity | 1080 µS/cm | None |
| Nitrate | 2.7 mg/L | 50 mg/L |
| Nitrite | 0.1 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L |
| Dissolved Oxygen | 7.37 mg/L | None |
| Phosphate | 0.032 mg/L | None |
| Lead | 0.00431 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L |
| Chromium | 0.000903 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L |
| Copper | 0.00496 mg/L | 2 mg/L |
| Zinc | 0.0337 mg/L | None |
| Mercury | 0.000032 mg/L | 0.001 mg/L |
| Boron | 0.109 mg/L | 1 mg/L |
| Cadmium | 0.000291 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L |
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