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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in NE64, NorthumberlandSafe to drink.Slightly hard.

Supplied by Northumbrian Water. 843 samples, 20 substances, latest on 14 November 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

ZeroWater 12-Cup Ready-Pour

£40typical price

Households concerned about PFAS and heavy metals

Waterdrop 10UA Under Sink

Waterdrop 10UA Under Sink

£70typical price

High-volume under-sink filtration without RO complexity

BRITA Marella XL + MAXTRA PRO

BRITA Marella XL + MAXTRA PRO

£25typical price

Basic chlorine and taste improvement on a budget

We earn a commission if you buy through these links, at no extra cost to you. It never changes which product we put first. How we make money

What's in a glass of NE64 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 32% of it. 17 of 18 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%Manganese: 0.00036 mg/L, <1% of the 0.05 mg/L limitManganese<1%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%Selenium: 0.00083 mg/L, 2% of the 0.04 mg/L limitSelenium2%Arsenic: 0.00024 mg/L, 2% of the 0.01 mg/L limitArsenic2%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%Boron: 0.037 mg/L, 4% of the 1 mg/L limitBoron4%Fluoride: 0.061 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%Colour: 1.3 mg/L Pt/Co, 7% of the 20 mg/L Pt/Co limitColour7%Aluminium: 0.014 mg/L, 7% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium7%Copper: 0.16 mg/L, 8% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper8%Lead: 0.0032 mg/L, 32% of the 0.01 mg/L limitLead32%
  1. Lead32%
  2. Copper8%
  3. Aluminium7%
  4. Colour7%
  5. Nickel6%
  6. Turbidity5%
  7. Bromate5%
  8. Fluoride4%
  9. Boron4%
  10. Antimony3%
  11. Nitrate3%
  12. Iron3%
  13. Arsenic2%
  14. Selenium2%
  15. Chromium1%
  16. Nitrite1%
  17. Manganese<1%
  18. Cadmium<1%
  • pH 8 pH
  • Conductivity 270 µS/cm
All 20 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Iron0.0052 mg/L0.2 mg/L
3%
pH8 pHNo legal limit–
Aluminium0.014 mg/L0.2 mg/L
7%
Conductivity270 µS/cmNo legal limit–
Colour1.3 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
7%
Turbidity0.2 NTU4 NTU
5%
Manganese0.00036 mg/L0.05 mg/L
<1%
Cadmium0.000018 mg/L0.005 mg/L
<1%
Lead0.0032 mg/L0.01 mg/L
32%
Copper0.16 mg/L2 mg/L
8%
Nitrite0.0061 mg/L0.5 mg/L
1%
Bromate0.0005 mg/L0.01 mg/L
5%
Chromium0.00067 mg/L0.05 mg/L
1%
Arsenic0.00024 mg/L0.01 mg/L
2%
Boron0.037 mg/L1 mg/L
4%
Selenium0.00083 mg/L0.04 mg/L
2%
Antimony0.00016 mg/L0.005 mg/L
3%
Nitrate1.5 mg/L50 mg/L
3%
Nickel0.0011 mg/L0.02 mg/L
6%
Fluoride0.061 mg/L1.5 mg/L
4%

160mg 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 coastal water is the Tyne and Wear, rated good

The Environment Agency rated the Tyne and Wear as good for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the coastal water 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

NE64 in short

Tap water in NE64 (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 20 tested substances came close to a limit. The latest sample is from 14 November 2025.

  • 18th cleanest of 28 areas tested in NorthumberlandSquarely mid-table for Northumberland, between NE41 on 9.8 and TD15 on 9.3.
  • Nothing tested came within 40% of its legal limitThe highest was Lead at 32% of the 0.01 mg/L maximum. See every reading
  • Moderately hard water at 160 mg/LSome scale over time in NE64, but not enough to justify a softener for most homes. How hardness is measured

Questions about NE64 water

Is NE64 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, NE64 (Northumberland) 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 NE64 water?

We tested 20 contaminants in NE64 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels.

Who supplies water in NE64?

NE64 (Northumberland) is supplied by Northumbrian Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.

Is NE64 water hard or soft?

Water in NE64 (Northumberland) has a hardness of 160 mg/L CaCO3, which is classified as moderately hard. This is a moderate hardness level.

Should I use a water filter in NE64?

NE64 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 NE64 water?

No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for NE64, 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 coastal water near NE64?

The Environment Agency rated the Tyne and Wear as good for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the coastal water 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 coastal water, not of tap water in NE64, 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 NE64

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
Lead0.0172 mg/L0.01 mg/L
Manganese3.16 mg/L0.05 mg/L
Iron47 mg/L0.2 mg/L
pH8.17 pHNone
Temperature9.6 °CNone
Conductivity1217 µS/cmNone
Nitrate1.6 mg/L50 mg/L
Nitrite0.01 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Phosphate0.01 mg/LNone
Dissolved Oxygen9.29 mg/LNone
Ammonia0.062 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Copper0.00633 mg/L2 mg/L
Zinc0.0466 mg/LNone
Cadmium0.00116 mg/L0.005 mg/L
Hardness (as CaCO3)1700 mg/LNone
Chromium0.00154 mg/L0.05 mg/L
Boron0.5 mg/L1 mg/L

Get alerts for your area

We'll email you when water quality data changes for NE64.

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