Skip to main content
tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in NE70, NorthumberlandSafe to drink.Slightly hard.

Supplied by Northumbrian Water. 1,297 samples, 20 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

9.3 / 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

Check price at Amazon (opens in new tab)
Waterdrop 10UA Under Sink

Waterdrop 10UA Under Sink

£70typical price

High-volume under-sink filtration without RO complexity

Check price at Waterdrop (opens in new tab)
BRITA Marella XL + MAXTRA PRO

BRITA Marella XL + MAXTRA PRO

£25typical price

Basic chlorine and taste improvement on a budget

Check price at Amazon (opens in new tab)

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 NE70 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.

Nitrate came closest to a limit, at 66% 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: 0.00028 mg/L, <1% of the 0.05 mg/L limitManganese<1%Arsenic: 0.000065 mg/L, <1% of the 0.01 mg/L limitArsenic<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: 0.00017 mg/L, 2% of the 0.01 mg/L limitLead2%Selenium: 0.00083 mg/L, 2% of the 0.04 mg/L limitSelenium2%Fluoride: 0.038 mg/L, 3% of the 1.5 mg/L limitFluoride3%Iron: 0.0052 mg/L, 3% of the 0.2 mg/L limitIron3%Boron: 0.028 mg/L, 3% of the 1 mg/L limitBoron3%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%Copper: 0.094 mg/L, 5% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper5%Bromate: 0.0005 mg/L, 5% of the 0.01 mg/L limitBromate5%Turbidity: 0.23 NTU, 6% of the 4 NTU limitTurbidity6%Aluminium: 0.012 mg/L, 6% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium6%Nickel: 0.0012 mg/L, 6% of the 0.02 mg/L limitNickel6%Nitrate: 33 mg/L, 66% of the 50 mg/L limitNitrate66%
  1. Nitrate66%
  2. Aluminium6%
  3. Nickel6%
  4. Turbidity6%
  5. Bromate5%
  6. Copper5%
  7. Colour4%
  8. Antimony3%
  9. Boron3%
  10. Iron3%
  11. Fluoride3%
  12. Selenium2%
  13. Lead2%
  14. Chromium1%
  15. Nitrite1%
  16. Arsenic<1%
  17. Manganese<1%
  18. Cadmium<1%
  • Conductivity 460 µS/cm
  • pH 7.6 pH
All 20 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Aluminium0.012 mg/L0.2 mg/L
6%
Turbidity0.23 NTU4 NTU
6%
Colour0.81 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
4%
Iron0.0052 mg/L0.2 mg/L
3%
Conductivity460 µS/cmNo legal limit–
pH7.6 pHNo legal limit–
Manganese0.00028 mg/L0.05 mg/L
<1%
Fluoride0.038 mg/L1.5 mg/L
3%
Cadmium0.000018 mg/L0.005 mg/L
<1%
Lead0.00017 mg/L0.01 mg/L
2%
Bromate0.0005 mg/L0.01 mg/L
5%
Boron0.028 mg/L1 mg/L
3%
Chromium0.00067 mg/L0.05 mg/L
1%
Nickel0.0012 mg/L0.02 mg/L
6%
Nitrate33 mg/L50 mg/L
66%
Antimony0.00016 mg/L0.005 mg/L
3%
Arsenic0.000065 mg/L0.01 mg/L
<1%
Copper0.094 mg/L2 mg/L
5%
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 river is the Belford Burn from Source to Ross Low, rated moderate

The Environment Agency rated the Belford Burn from Source to Ross Low as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by fish, insects and other small river life and phosphate. 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

NE70 in short

Tap water in NE70 (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 12 December 2025.

  • 27th cleanest of 28 areas tested in Northumberland1 area in Northumberland scored lower. The best is NE41 on 9.8.
  • Nitrate is the reading closest to its limit, at 66% of the 50 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 NE70, 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/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/LNE439.4 out of 10 · 193 mg/L

Questions about NE70 water

Is NE70 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, NE70 (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 NE70 water?

We tested 20 contaminants in NE70 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels.

Who supplies water in NE70?

NE70 (Northumberland) is supplied by Northumbrian Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.

Is NE70 water hard or soft?

Water in NE70 (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 NE70?

NE70 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 NE70 water?

No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for NE70, 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 NE70?

The Environment Agency rated the Belford Burn from Source to Ross Low as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by fish, insects and other small river life and phosphate. 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 NE70, 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 NE70

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
Ammonia0.043 mg/L0.5 mg/L

Get alerts for your area

We'll email you when water quality data changes for NE70.

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