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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in NE49, NorthumberlandSafe to drink.Moderately soft.

Supplied by Northumbrian Water. 1,112 samples, 21 substances, latest on 24 November 2025. Everything is inside the legal limit, and nothing comes close to it.

See the filter we recommendSee everything that was tested

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

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What's in a glass of NE49 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 67% of it. 18 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%Lead: 0.000065 mg/L, <1% of the 0.01 mg/L limitLead<1%Boron: 0.0085 mg/L, <1% of the 1 mg/L limitBoron<1%Copper: 0.019 mg/L, <1% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper<1%Manganese: 0.00059 mg/L, 1% of the 0.05 mg/L limitManganese1%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: 0.0002 mg/L, 2% of the 0.01 mg/L limitArsenic2%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%Nitrate: 1.5 mg/L, 3% of the 50 mg/L limitNitrate3%Nickel: 0.00063 mg/L, 3% of the 0.02 mg/L limitNickel3%Antimony: 0.00016 mg/L, 3% of the 0.005 mg/L limitAntimony3%Iron: 0.0081 mg/L, 4% of the 0.2 mg/L limitIron4%Turbidity: 0.2 NTU, 5% of the 4 NTU limitTurbidity5%Bromate: 0.0005 mg/L, 5% of the 0.01 mg/L limitBromate5%Colour: 1.8 mg/L Pt/Co, 9% of the 20 mg/L Pt/Co limitColour9%Aluminium: 0.022 mg/L, 11% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium11%Fluoride: 1 mg/L, 67% of the 1.5 mg/L limitFluoride67%
  1. Fluoride67%
  2. Aluminium11%
  3. Colour9%
  4. Turbidity5%
  5. Bromate5%
  6. Iron4%
  7. Antimony3%
  8. Nickel3%
  9. Nitrate3%
  10. Mercury2%
  11. Selenium2%
  12. Arsenic2%
  13. Chromium1%
  14. Nitrite1%
  15. Manganese1%
  16. Copper<1%
  17. Boron<1%
  18. Lead<1%
  19. Cadmium<1%
  • pH 7.3 pH
  • Conductivity 160 µS/cm
All 21 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Aluminium0.022 mg/L0.2 mg/L
11%
Turbidity0.2 NTU4 NTU
5%
pH7.3 pHNo legal limit–
Colour1.8 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
9%
Iron0.0081 mg/L0.2 mg/L
4%
Conductivity160 µS/cmNo legal limit–
Manganese0.00059 mg/L0.05 mg/L
1%
Boron0.0085 mg/L1 mg/L
<1%
Arsenic0.0002 mg/L0.01 mg/L
2%
Nitrate1.5 mg/L50 mg/L
3%
Lead0.000065 mg/L0.01 mg/L
<1%
Nickel0.00063 mg/L0.02 mg/L
3%
Bromate0.0005 mg/L0.01 mg/L
5%
Nitrite0.0061 mg/L0.5 mg/L
1%
Antimony0.00016 mg/L0.005 mg/L
3%
Selenium0.00083 mg/L0.04 mg/L
2%
Fluoride1 mg/L1.5 mg/L
67%
Cadmium0.000018 mg/L0.005 mg/L
<1%
Chromium0.00067 mg/L0.05 mg/L
1%
Copper0.019 mg/L2 mg/L
<1%
Mercury0.000022 mg/L0.001 mg/L
2%

68mg of limescale minerals in every litre

Soft water. Kind to kettles, boilers and skin

You will not need a softener here, and you will use less soap and detergent than most of England.

Soft400 mg/L
Outside your tap

Your river is the South Tyne from Tipalt Burn to Allen, rated moderate

The Environment Agency rated the South Tyne from Tipalt Burn to Allen as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by specific pollutants. 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

NE49 in short

Tap water in NE49 (Northumberland) is supplied by Northumbrian Water in the Northumberland Central zone and scores 9.4 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 24 November 2025.

  • Fluoride is the reading closest to its limit, at 67% of the 1.5 mg/L maximumIt passed with room to spare, and everything else tested sat further below its limit. See every reading
  • 16th cleanest of 28 areas tested in NorthumberlandSquarely mid-table for Northumberland, between NE41 on 9.8 and TD15 on 9.3.
  • Moderately soft water at 68 mg/LLittle limescale to speak of in NE49. A softener would be money wasted. How hardness is measured

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/LNE489.8 out of 10 · 68 mg/LNE249.4 out of 10 · 143 mg/LNE239.3 out of 10 · 158 mg/LNE229.5 out of 10 · 150 mg/L

Questions about NE49 water

Is NE49 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, NE49 (Northumberland) water scores 9.4/10, which is safe. 0 of 21 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Northumbrian Water.

What contaminants are in NE49 water?

We tested 21 contaminants in NE49 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels.

Who supplies water in NE49?

NE49 (Northumberland) is supplied by Northumbrian Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.

Is NE49 water hard or soft?

Water in NE49 (Northumberland) has a hardness of 68 mg/L CaCO3, which is classified as moderately soft. This is a moderate hardness level.

Should I use a water filter in NE49?

NE49 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 NE49 water?

No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for NE49, 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 NE49?

The Environment Agency rated the South Tyne from Tipalt Burn to Allen as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by specific pollutants. 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 NE49, 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 NE49

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
Iron0.33 mg/L0.2 mg/L
Manganese0.217 mg/L0.05 mg/L
pH7.56 pHNone
Temperature9.2 °CNone
Conductivity331 µS/cmNone
Nitrate0.23 mg/L50 mg/L
Dissolved Oxygen11.8 mg/LNone
Phosphate0.019 mg/LNone
Ammonia0.042 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Nitrite0.0045 mg/L0.5 mg/L

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We'll email you when water quality data changes for NE49.

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