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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in NE47, NorthumberlandSafe to drink.Slightly hard.

Supplied by Northumbrian Water. 3,266 samples, 21 substances, latest on 12 December 2025. Everything is inside the legal limit, and nothing comes close to it.

See the filter we recommendSee everything that was tested

9.8 / 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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Basic chlorine and taste improvement on a budget

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What's in a glass of NE47 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.

Aluminium came closest to a limit, at 6% of it. 19 of 19 substances used under a quarter of theirs.

0%25%50%75%limitLegal limitCadmium: 0.000018 mg/L, <1% of the 0.005 mg/L limitCadmium<1%Arsenic: 0.00005 mg/L, <1% of the 0.01 mg/L limitArsenic<1%Manganese: 0.00028 mg/L, <1% of the 0.05 mg/L limitManganese<1%Lead: 0.000072 mg/L, <1% of the 0.01 mg/L limitLead<1%Copper: 0.016 mg/L, <1% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper<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: 0.00071 mg/L, 1% of the 0.05 mg/L limitChromium1%Selenium: 0.00083 mg/L, 2% of the 0.04 mg/L limitSelenium2%Mercury: 0.000022 mg/L, 2% of the 0.001 mg/L limitMercury2%Nickel: 0.00045 mg/L, 2% of the 0.02 mg/L limitNickel2%Iron: 0.0052 mg/L, 3% of the 0.2 mg/L limitIron3%Nitrate: 1.5 mg/L, 3% of the 50 mg/L limitNitrate3%Antimony: 0.00016 mg/L, 3% of the 0.005 mg/L limitAntimony3%Colour: 0.81 mg/L Pt/Co, 4% of the 20 mg/L Pt/Co limitColour4%Turbidity: 0.2 NTU, 5% of the 4 NTU limitTurbidity5%Bromate: 0.0005 mg/L, 5% of the 0.01 mg/L limitBromate5%Fluoride: 0.088 mg/L, 6% of the 1.5 mg/L limitFluoride6%Aluminium: 0.012 mg/L, 6% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium6%
  1. Aluminium6%
  2. Fluoride6%
  3. Turbidity5%
  4. Bromate5%
  5. Colour4%
  6. Antimony3%
  7. Nitrate3%
  8. Iron3%
  9. Nickel2%
  10. Mercury2%
  11. Selenium2%
  12. Chromium1%
  13. Boron1%
  14. Nitrite1%
  15. Copper<1%
  16. Lead<1%
  17. Manganese<1%
  18. Arsenic<1%
  19. Cadmium<1%
  • pH 7.7 pH
  • Conductivity 270 µS/cm
All 21 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
pH7.7 pHNo legal limit–
Aluminium0.012 mg/L0.2 mg/L
6%
Manganese0.00028 mg/L0.05 mg/L
<1%
Conductivity270 µS/cmNo legal limit–
Turbidity0.2 NTU4 NTU
5%
Iron0.0052 mg/L0.2 mg/L
3%
Colour0.81 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
4%
Bromate0.0005 mg/L0.01 mg/L
5%
Cadmium0.000018 mg/L0.005 mg/L
<1%
Boron0.013 mg/L1 mg/L
1%
Copper0.016 mg/L2 mg/L
<1%
Fluoride0.088 mg/L1.5 mg/L
6%
Arsenic0.00005 mg/L0.01 mg/L
<1%
Lead0.000072 mg/L0.01 mg/L
<1%
Selenium0.00083 mg/L0.04 mg/L
2%
Antimony0.00016 mg/L0.005 mg/L
3%
Nitrite0.0061 mg/L0.5 mg/L
1%
Nickel0.00045 mg/L0.02 mg/L
2%
Nitrate1.5 mg/L50 mg/L
3%
Chromium0.00071 mg/L0.05 mg/L
1%
Mercury0.000022 mg/L0.001 mg/L
2%

153mg of limescale minerals in every litre, typical for the NE area. NE47 has no reading of its own.

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 West Dipton Burn from Source to Devil's Water, rated good

The Environment Agency rated the West Dipton Burn from Source to Devil's Water as good for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is only slightly changed from its natural state. 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

NE47 in short

Tap water in NE47 (Northumberland) is supplied by Northumbrian Water in the Northumberland Central zone and scores 9.8 out of 10, against an England and Wales average of 9.0. None of the 21 tested substances came close to a limit. The latest sample is from 12 December 2025.

  • 2nd cleanest of 28 areas tested in NorthumberlandOnly 1 area in Northumberland scored higher. The best is NE41 on 9.8.
  • Scores higher than all 10 neighbouring districtsThe nearest rival is NE22 on 9.5, against 9.8 here. Compare with NE22
  • 0.8 points above the national average of 9Cleaner than the typical tested district in the UK. Compare every area

Next door

NE209.3 out of 10 · 138 mg/LCA99.4 out of 10 · 8 mg/LNE679.3 out of 10 · 168 mg/LNE709.3 out of 10 · 168 mg/LNE719.4 out of 10 · 135 mg/LNE699.3 out of 10 · 168 mg/LNE249.4 out of 10 · 143 mg/LNE239.3 out of 10 · 158 mg/LNE229.5 out of 10 · 150 mg/LNE429.4 out of 10 · 193 mg/L

Questions about NE47 water

Is NE47 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, NE47 (Northumberland) water scores 9.8/10, which is safe. 0 of 21 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Northumbrian Water.

What contaminants are in NE47 water?

We tested 21 contaminants in NE47 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels.

Who supplies water in NE47?

NE47 (Northumberland) is supplied by Northumbrian Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.

Is NE47 water hard or soft?

No hardness reading has been published for NE47 itself. Across the NE postcode area the typical value is 153 mg/L CaCO3, which is classified as moderately hard. This is a moderate hardness level.

Should I use a water filter in NE47?

NE47 water scored 9.8/10 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 NE47 water?

No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for NE47, 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 NE47?

The Environment Agency rated the West Dipton Burn from Source to Devil's Water as good for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is only slightly changed from its natural state. 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 NE47, 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 NE47

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
Lead0.0097 mg/L0.01 mg/L
Iron0.33 mg/L0.2 mg/L
pH8.4 pHNone
Temperature12.6 °CNone
Conductivity345 µS/cmNone
Hardness (as CaCO3)146 mg/LNone
Zinc0.021 mg/LNone
Cadmium0.00024 mg/L0.005 mg/L
Nickel0.0015 mg/L0.02 mg/L
Copper0.0014 mg/L2 mg/L
Manganese0.016 mg/L0.05 mg/L
Nitrate0.24 mg/L50 mg/L
Dissolved Oxygen10.6 mg/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