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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in NE65, NorthumberlandSafe to drink.Slightly hard.

Supplied by Northumbrian Water. 4,733 samples, 20 substances, latest on 19 December 2025. Everything is inside the legal limit, and nothing comes close to it.

See the filter we recommendSee everything that was tested

9.6 / 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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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 NE65 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 25% of it. 17 of 18 substances used under a quarter of theirs.

0%25%50%75%limitLegal limitCopper: 0.0016 mg/L, <1% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper<1%Cadmium: 0.000018 mg/L, <1% of the 0.005 mg/L limitCadmium<1%Manganese: 0.00028 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%Chromium: 0.00068 mg/L, 1% of the 0.05 mg/L limitChromium1%Arsenic: 0.00018 mg/L, 2% of the 0.01 mg/L limitArsenic2%Selenium: 0.00083 mg/L, 2% of the 0.04 mg/L limitSelenium2%Boron: 0.023 mg/L, 2% of the 1 mg/L limitBoron2%Iron: 0.0052 mg/L, 3% of the 0.2 mg/L limitIron3%Antimony: 0.00016 mg/L, 3% of the 0.005 mg/L limitAntimony3%Nitrate: 1.7 mg/L, 3% of the 50 mg/L limitNitrate3%Colour: 0.9 mg/L Pt/Co, 5% of the 20 mg/L Pt/Co limitColour5%Nickel: 0.00098 mg/L, 5% of the 0.02 mg/L limitNickel5%Turbidity: 0.2 NTU, 5% of the 4 NTU limitTurbidity5%Bromate: 0.0005 mg/L, 5% of the 0.01 mg/L limitBromate5%Aluminium: 0.025 mg/L, 13% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium13%Fluoride: 0.38 mg/L, 25% of the 1.5 mg/L limitFluoride25%
  1. Fluoride25%
  2. Aluminium13%
  3. Turbidity5%
  4. Bromate5%
  5. Nickel5%
  6. Colour5%
  7. Nitrate3%
  8. Antimony3%
  9. Iron3%
  10. Boron2%
  11. Selenium2%
  12. Arsenic2%
  13. Chromium1%
  14. Nitrite1%
  15. Lead<1%
  16. Manganese<1%
  17. Cadmium<1%
  18. Copper<1%
  • Conductivity 360 µS/cm
  • pH 8 pH
All 20 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Iron0.0052 mg/L0.2 mg/L
3%
Conductivity360 µS/cmNo legal limit–
Aluminium0.025 mg/L0.2 mg/L
13%
Colour0.9 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
5%
Manganese0.00028 mg/L0.05 mg/L
<1%
Turbidity0.2 NTU4 NTU
5%
pH8 pHNo legal limit–
Cadmium0.000018 mg/L0.005 mg/L
<1%
Fluoride0.38 mg/L1.5 mg/L
25%
Lead0.000065 mg/L0.01 mg/L
<1%
Nitrite0.0061 mg/L0.5 mg/L
1%
Nickel0.00098 mg/L0.02 mg/L
5%
Nitrate1.7 mg/L50 mg/L
3%
Arsenic0.00018 mg/L0.01 mg/L
2%
Chromium0.00068 mg/L0.05 mg/L
1%
Copper0.0016 mg/L2 mg/L
<1%
Boron0.023 mg/L1 mg/L
2%
Selenium0.00083 mg/L0.04 mg/L
2%
Bromate0.0005 mg/L0.01 mg/L
5%
Antimony0.00016 mg/L0.005 mg/L
3%

168mg 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 Coquet from Forest Burn to Tidal Limit, rated moderate

The Environment Agency rated the Coquet from Forest Burn 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 water plants and algae. 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. Its ecological rating has dropped since the previous assessment.

None of this is a test of your tap water. Environment Agency record · River health across England

NE65 in short

Tap water in NE65 (Northumberland) is supplied by Northumbrian Water in the Northumberland Central zone and scores 9.6 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 19 December 2025.

  • 6th cleanest of 28 areas tested in NorthumberlandOnly 5 areas in Northumberland scored higher. The best is NE41 on 9.8.
  • 0.6 points above the national average of 9Cleaner than the typical tested district in the UK. Compare every area
  • Nothing tested came within 40% of its legal limitThe highest was Fluoride at 25% of the 1.5 mg/L maximum. See every reading

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 NE65 water

Is NE65 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, NE65 (Northumberland) water scores 9.6/10, which is safe. 0 of 20 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Northumbrian Water.

What contaminants are in NE65 water?

We tested 20 contaminants in NE65 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels.

Who supplies water in NE65?

NE65 (Northumberland) is supplied by Northumbrian Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.

Is NE65 water hard or soft?

Water in NE65 (Northumberland) has a hardness of 168 mg/L CaCO3, which is classified as moderately hard. This is a moderate hardness level.

Should I use a water filter in NE65?

NE65 water scored 9.6/10 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 NE65 water?

No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for NE65, 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 NE65?

The Environment Agency rated the Coquet from Forest Burn 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 water plants and algae. 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. Its ecological rating has dropped since the previous assessment. This is a rating of the river, not of tap water in NE65, 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 NE65

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
Iron0.401 mg/L0.2 mg/L
pH8 pHNone
Temperature9.9 °CNone
Conductivity495 µS/cmNone
Ammonia0.035 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Nitrate2.4 mg/L50 mg/L
Nitrite0.021 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Phosphate0.063 mg/LNone
Dissolved Oxygen11.6 mg/LNone
Turbidity2.9 NTU4 NTU
Aluminium0.0428 mg/L0.2 mg/L
Manganese0.0349 mg/L0.05 mg/L
Zinc0.00766 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