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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in NE71, NorthumberlandSafe to drink.Slightly hard.

Supplied by Northumbrian Water. 1,489 samples, 20 substances, latest on 15 December 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

ZeroWater 12-Cup Ready-Pour

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£40typical price

Households concerned about PFAS and heavy metals

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Waterdrop 10UA Under Sink

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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 NE71 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 50% 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%Lead: 0.000065 mg/L, <1% of the 0.01 mg/L limitLead<1%Arsenic: 0.0001 mg/L, 1% of the 0.01 mg/L limitArsenic1%Boron: 0.012 mg/L, 1% of the 1 mg/L limitBoron1%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%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%Antimony: 0.00016 mg/L, 3% of the 0.005 mg/L limitAntimony3%Copper: 0.077 mg/L, 4% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper4%Colour: 0.92 mg/L Pt/Co, 5% of the 20 mg/L Pt/Co limitColour5%Bromate: 0.0005 mg/L, 5% of the 0.01 mg/L limitBromate5%Turbidity: 0.2 NTU, 5% of the 4 NTU limitTurbidity5%Aluminium: 0.012 mg/L, 6% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium6%Nickel: 0.0021 mg/L, 11% of the 0.02 mg/L limitNickel11%Nitrate: 25 mg/L, 50% of the 50 mg/L limitNitrate50%
  1. Nitrate50%
  2. Nickel11%
  3. Aluminium6%
  4. Bromate5%
  5. Turbidity5%
  6. Colour5%
  7. Copper4%
  8. Antimony3%
  9. Iron3%
  10. Fluoride3%
  11. Selenium2%
  12. Chromium1%
  13. Nitrite1%
  14. Boron1%
  15. Arsenic1%
  16. Lead<1%
  17. Manganese<1%
  18. Cadmium<1%
  • pH 8 pH
  • Conductivity 280 µS/cm
All 20 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Cadmium0.000018 mg/L0.005 mg/L
<1%
Nitrite0.0061 mg/L0.5 mg/L
1%
Bromate0.0005 mg/L0.01 mg/L
5%
Arsenic0.0001 mg/L0.01 mg/L
1%
Chromium0.00067 mg/L0.05 mg/L
1%
Nitrate25 mg/L50 mg/L
50%
Antimony0.00016 mg/L0.005 mg/L
3%
Selenium0.00083 mg/L0.04 mg/L
2%
Manganese0.00028 mg/L0.05 mg/L
<1%
Aluminium0.012 mg/L0.2 mg/L
6%
Boron0.012 mg/L1 mg/L
1%
Nickel0.0021 mg/L0.02 mg/L
11%
Fluoride0.038 mg/L1.5 mg/L
3%
Copper0.077 mg/L2 mg/L
4%
Lead0.000065 mg/L0.01 mg/L
<1%
Iron0.0052 mg/L0.2 mg/L
3%
Turbidity0.2 NTU4 NTU
5%
Colour0.92 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
5%
pH8 pHNo legal limit–
Conductivity280 µS/cmNo legal limit–

135mg 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 Glen from College Burn to Till, rated moderate

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

NE71 in short

Tap water in NE71 (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 15 December 2025.

  • Nitrate is the reading closest to its limit, at 50% of the 50 mg/L maximumIt passed with room to spare, and everything else tested sat further below its limit. See every reading
  • 19th cleanest of 28 areas tested in Northumberland9 areas in Northumberland scored lower. The best is NE41 on 9.8.
  • Moderately hard water at 135 mg/LSome scale over time in NE71, 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/LNE699.3 out of 10 · 168 mg/LNE499.4 out of 10 · 68 mg/LNE229.5 out of 10 · 150 mg/LNE249.4 out of 10 · 143 mg/LNE189.3 out of 10 · 180 mg/LNE239.3 out of 10 · 158 mg/LNE439.4 out of 10 · 193 mg/LNE449.7 out of 10 · 193 mg/L

Questions about NE71 water

Is NE71 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, NE71 (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 NE71 water?

We tested 20 contaminants in NE71 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels.

Who supplies water in NE71?

NE71 (Northumberland) is supplied by Northumbrian Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.

Is NE71 water hard or soft?

Water in NE71 (Northumberland) has a hardness of 135 mg/L CaCO3, which is classified as moderately hard. This is a moderate hardness level.

Should I use a water filter in NE71?

NE71 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 NE71 water?

No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for NE71, 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 NE71?

The Environment Agency rated the Glen from College Burn to Till as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by insects and other small river life. 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 NE71, 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 NE71

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
Temperature15.2 °CNone
Nitrate1.6 mg/L50 mg/L
Phosphate0.016 mg/LNone
pH8.14 pHNone
Conductivity199 µS/cmNone
Ammonia0.0043 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Nitrite0.0056 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Dissolved Oxygen11.3 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