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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in NE69, NorthumberlandSafe to drink.Slightly hard.

Supplied by Northumbrian Water. 467 samples, 20 substances, latest on 11 December 2025. Everything is inside the legal limit, and nothing comes close to it.

See the filter we recommendSee everything that was tested

9.3 / 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 NE69 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 61% 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: 0.00029 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%Lead: 0.00016 mg/L, 2% of the 0.01 mg/L limitLead2%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%Boron: 0.027 mg/L, 3% of the 1 mg/L limitBoron3%Copper: 0.063 mg/L, 3% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper3%Antimony: 0.00016 mg/L, 3% of the 0.005 mg/L limitAntimony3%Turbidity: 0.2 NTU, 5% of the 4 NTU limitTurbidity5%Bromate: 0.0005 mg/L, 5% of the 0.01 mg/L limitBromate5%Aluminium: 0.012 mg/L, 6% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium6%Nitrate: 4 mg/L, 8% of the 50 mg/L limitNitrate8%Iron: 0.019 mg/L, 9% of the 0.2 mg/L limitIron9%Nickel: 0.0022 mg/L, 11% of the 0.02 mg/L limitNickel11%Colour: 2.3 mg/L Pt/Co, 12% of the 20 mg/L Pt/Co limitColour12%Fluoride: 0.91 mg/L, 61% of the 1.5 mg/L limitFluoride61%
  1. Fluoride61%
  2. Colour12%
  3. Nickel11%
  4. Iron9%
  5. Nitrate8%
  6. Aluminium6%
  7. Turbidity5%
  8. Bromate5%
  9. Antimony3%
  10. Copper3%
  11. Boron3%
  12. Selenium2%
  13. Arsenic2%
  14. Lead2%
  15. Chromium1%
  16. Nitrite1%
  17. Manganese<1%
  18. Cadmium<1%
  • Conductivity 270 µS/cm
  • pH 7.7 pH
All 20 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Iron0.019 mg/L0.2 mg/L
9%
Conductivity270 µS/cmNo legal limit–
Manganese0.00029 mg/L0.05 mg/L
<1%
pH7.7 pHNo legal limit–
Colour2.3 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
12%
Aluminium0.012 mg/L0.2 mg/L
6%
Turbidity0.2 NTU4 NTU
5%
Fluoride0.91 mg/L1.5 mg/L
61%
Cadmium0.000018 mg/L0.005 mg/L
<1%
Lead0.00016 mg/L0.01 mg/L
2%
Bromate0.0005 mg/L0.01 mg/L
5%
Boron0.027 mg/L1 mg/L
3%
Chromium0.00067 mg/L0.05 mg/L
1%
Nickel0.0022 mg/L0.02 mg/L
11%
Nitrate4 mg/L50 mg/L
8%
Antimony0.00016 mg/L0.005 mg/L
3%
Arsenic0.0002 mg/L0.01 mg/L
2%
Copper0.063 mg/L2 mg/L
3%
Nitrite0.0061 mg/L0.5 mg/L
1%
Selenium0.00083 mg/L0.04 mg/L
2%

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 coastal water is the Northumberland North, rated good

The Environment Agency rated the Northumberland North 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

NE69 in short

Tap water in NE69 (Northumberland) is supplied by Northumbrian Water in the Northumberland Central zone and scores 9.3 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 11 December 2025.

  • 26th cleanest of 28 areas tested in Northumberland2 areas in Northumberland scored lower. The best is NE41 on 9.8.
  • Fluoride is the reading closest to its limit, at 61% of the 1.5 mg/L maximumIt passed with room to spare, and everything else tested sat further below its limit. See every reading
  • Moderately hard water at 168 mg/LSome scale over time in NE69, but not enough to justify a softener for most homes. How hardness is measured

Next door

NE209.3 out of 10 · 138 mg/LCA99.4 out of 10 · 8 mg/LNE689.3 out of 10 · 168 mg/LNE709.3 out of 10 · 168 mg/LNE719.4 out of 10 · 135 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/LNE429.4 out of 10 · 193 mg/L

Questions about NE69 water

Is NE69 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, NE69 (Northumberland) water scores 9.3/10, which is safe. 0 of 20 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Northumbrian Water.

What contaminants are in NE69 water?

We tested 20 contaminants in NE69 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels.

Who supplies water in NE69?

NE69 (Northumberland) is supplied by Northumbrian Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.

Is NE69 water hard or soft?

Water in NE69 (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 NE69?

NE69 water scored 9.3/10 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 NE69 water?

No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for NE69, 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 NE69?

The Environment Agency rated the Northumberland North 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 NE69, 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 NE69

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
pH8.21 pHNone
Temperature11.7 °CNone
Conductivity442 µS/cmNone
Nitrate2.5 mg/L50 mg/L
Nitrite0.013 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Phosphate0.019 mg/LNone
Dissolved Oxygen12.4 mg/LNone
Ammonia0.058 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Copper0.0018 mg/L2 mg/L
Zinc0.0091 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