Tap water in NG17, AshfieldSafe to drink.Very hard.
Supplied by Severn Trent. 946 samples, 20 substances, latest on 22 December 2025. Everything is inside the legal limit, and nothing comes close to it.
8.7 / 10
The tank is as full as the score. The specks are the minerals that make water hard.
What to do about it
Hard water: compare softener quotes
At 341 mg/L a softener is the only thing that stops limescale. Filters do not soften water.
It pays for itself in most homes at this hardness, through a boiler that stays efficient and appliances that last.
ZeroWater 12-Cup Ready-Pour
£40typical price
Households concerned about PFAS and heavy metals
Waterdrop 10UA Under Sink
£70typical price
High-volume under-sink filtration without RO complexity
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What's in a glass of NG17 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 71% of it. 15 of 17 substances used under a quarter of theirs.
- Nitrate71%
- Fluoride59%
- Trihalomethanes23%
- Arsenic15%
- Aluminium11%
- Copper7%
- Colour6%
- Nickel5%
- Iron4%
- Turbidity3%
- Lead2%
- Manganese1%
- Cadmium1%
- Antimony1%
- Selenium<1%
- Chromium<1%
- Nitrite<1%
- pH 7.55 pH
- Conductivity 369 µS/cm
- Phosphate 0.694 mg/L
All 20 results as a table
| Substance | Result | Legal limit | Share of limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aluminium | 0.021 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 11% |
| Iron | 0.0077 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 4% |
| Manganese | 0.00073 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | 1% |
| pH | 7.55 pH | No legal limit | – |
| Colour | 1.1 mg/L Pt/Co | 20 mg/L Pt/Co | 6% |
| Turbidity | 0.12 NTU | 4 NTU | 3% |
| Conductivity | 369 µS/cm | No legal limit | – |
| Trihalomethanes | 0.0232 mg/L | 0.1 mg/L | 23% |
| Nitrate | 35.4 mg/L | 50 mg/L | 71% |
| Nitrite | 0.003 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L | <1% |
| Copper | 0.141 mg/L | 2 mg/L | 7% |
| Fluoride | 0.89 mg/L | 1.5 mg/L | 59% |
| Arsenic | 0.00146 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 15% |
| Cadmium | 0.00007 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | 1% |
| Chromium | 0.00042 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | <1% |
| Nickel | 0.001 mg/L | 0.02 mg/L | 5% |
| Lead | 0.00021 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 2% |
| Antimony | 0.000068 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | 1% |
| Selenium | 0.00039 mg/L | 0.04 mg/L | <1% |
| Phosphate | 0.694 mg/L | No legal limit | – |
341mg of limescale minerals in every litre, typical for the NG area. NG17 has no reading of its own.
This is the water that furs up kettles
Very hard on the UK scale. It is fine to drink. It is hard on boilers, showers, skin and anything that heats water, and a jug or tap filter will not change that.
Softener quotes for NG17
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Your river is the Maun from Source to Vicar Water, rated moderate
The Environment Agency rated the Maun from Source to Vicar Water 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, phosphate and 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
32
forever-chemical detections in nearby rivers and groundwater
At 2 sites. The highest was PFOA at 0.013 µg/L, at RSN0116 Pamelas Larches, 7.4 km away, in September 2023. These are river and borehole samples, not tests of your tap water.
Every PFAS sample around Nottingham · Which filters remove PFAS · PFAS explained
NG17 in short
Tap water in NG17 (Ashfield) is supplied by Severn Trent in the Ashfield Central zone and scores 8.7 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 22 December 2025.
- Among the hardest water in the country at 341 mg/LVery hard starts at 250 mg/L. At this level kettles scale up within weeks and a softener is a normal purchase across the NG postcode area. How hardness is measured
- Nitrate is the reading closest to its limit, at 71% of the 50 mg/L maximumIt passed with room to spare, and everything else tested sat further below its limit. See every reading
- PFAS found at 2 monitoring sites within 10 kmThose are river and groundwater samples, not tap water. The highest was PFOA about 7.4 km away. What was measured
Next door
Questions about NG17 water
Is NG17 tap water safe to drink?
Based on the latest tests, NG17 (Ashfield) water scores 8.7/10, which is safe. 0 of 20 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Severn Trent.
What contaminants are in NG17 water?
We tested 20 contaminants in NG17 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels. PFAS (forever chemicals) were also measured in rivers and groundwater within 10 km, though not in the tap-water tests themselves.
Who supplies water in NG17?
NG17 (Ashfield) is supplied by Severn Trent. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.
Is NG17 water hard or soft?
No hardness reading has been published for NG17 itself. Across the NG postcode area the typical value is 341 mg/L CaCO3, which is classified as very hard. Hard water can cause limescale buildup. A water softener or filter jug may help.
Should I use a water filter in NG17?
NG17 water scored 8.7/10 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 NG17 water?
The tap-water tests we hold for NG17 do not include a PFAS result. Environment Agency monitoring found PFAS in 32 river and groundwater samples from 2 sites within 10 km of NG17, the highest being PFOA at 0.013 µg/L about 7.4 km away. These are environmental samples, not tests of tap water. The UK currently has no legal limit for PFAS in drinking water; the Drinking Water Inspectorate uses a 0.1 µg/L guideline for individual compounds. Reverse osmosis filters can reduce PFAS levels.
How clean is the river near NG17?
The Environment Agency rated the Maun from Source to Vicar Water 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, phosphate and 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 NG17, which is treated before it reaches homes.
Keep reading
- Best Filter for PFAS RemovalThe filters with independent certification to remove forever chemicals
- PFAS Forever ChemicalsWhat PFAS are and how to reduce your exposure at home
- Best Water Softener UKHarvey, Kinetico, BWT, Monarch and Water2Buy compared, with real costs
- Do I Need a Water Softener?The hardness bands, the symptoms, and a postcode check
- UK Water Hardness MapIs your water hard or soft, and does it matter?
- Do I need a water softener?The hardness bands, the symptoms, and when the answer is no
- Best water softener UKHarvey, Kinetico, BWT, Monarch and Water2Buy compared
- Water softener costUnit, fitting and salt, and how long the payback takes
- Installation explainedWhere it goes, the bypass tap, the drain, DIY or plumber
- Harvey vs KineticoThe two premium twin-cylinder brands, side by side
- Softener salt guideTablet, block or granular, and how much you get through
- Salt-free softenersConditioners and electronic descalers, honestly assessed
PFAS explainedHow to test your waterBest water filtersFilter shower headsWater testing kitsUK water rankingsWater hardness checkerWater hardness map
River and groundwater readings near NG17
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.
| Substance | Reading | Drinking water limit |
|---|---|---|
| pH | 7.8 pH | None |
| Temperature | 14.3 °C | None |
| Conductivity | 898 µS/cm | None |
| Ammonia | 0.036 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L |
| Nitrate | 8.7 mg/L | 50 mg/L |
| Nitrite | 0.034 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L |
| Phosphate | 0.068 mg/L | None |
| Dissolved Oxygen | 9.24 mg/L | None |
| Turbidity | 1.7 NTU | 4 NTU |
| Chromium | 0.00065 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L |
| Copper | 0.002 mg/L | 2 mg/L |
| Zinc | 0.0148 mg/L | None |
| Cadmium | 0.00014 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L |
| Aluminium | 0.011 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L |
Get alerts for your area
We'll email you when water quality data changes for NG17.