Tap water in NG20, MansfieldSafe to drink.Very hard.
Supplied by Severn Trent. 1,095 samples, 20 substances, latest on 16 December 2025. Everything is inside the legal limit. One result, nitrate, sits close to the line.
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.
Waterdrop G3P600 Reverse Osmosis
£550typical price
Removes nitrate, the result that stood out in NG20.
Osmio PRO-III Ultimate Whole House
£499typical price
Removes nitrate, the result that stood out in NG20.
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What's in a glass of NG20 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 82% of it. 15 of 17 substances used under a quarter of theirs.
- Nitrate82%
- Fluoride64%
- Arsenic15%
- Trihalomethanes14%
- Aluminium11%
- Nickel5%
- Iron4%
- Colour4%
- Turbidity3%
- Nitrite3%
- Lead2%
- Manganese1%
- Antimony1%
- Chromium<1%
- Selenium<1%
- Copper<1%
- Cadmium<1%
- Conductivity 562 µS/cm
- pH 7.53 pH
- Phosphate 0.944 mg/L
All 20 results as a table
| Substance | Result | Legal limit | Share of limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrate | 41.1 mg/L | 50 mg/L | 82% |
| Conductivity | 562 µS/cm | No legal limit | – |
| Iron | 0.0082 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 4% |
| Manganese | 0.00073 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | 1% |
| pH | 7.53 pH | No legal limit | – |
| Colour | 0.8 mg/L Pt/Co | 20 mg/L Pt/Co | 4% |
| Aluminium | 0.021 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 11% |
| Turbidity | 0.12 NTU | 4 NTU | 3% |
| Copper | 0.0106 mg/L | 2 mg/L | <1% |
| Trihalomethanes | 0.0136 mg/L | 0.1 mg/L | 14% |
| Fluoride | 0.96 mg/L | 1.5 mg/L | 64% |
| Arsenic | 0.00147 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 15% |
| Cadmium | 0.00001 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 | 0.00017 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 2% |
| Antimony | 0.000072 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | 1% |
| Selenium | 0.0003 mg/L | 0.04 mg/L | <1% |
| Nitrite | 0.013 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L | 3% |
| Phosphate | 0.944 mg/L | No legal limit | – |
341mg of limescale minerals in every litre, typical for the NG area. NG20 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 NG20
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Your river is the Meden from Sookholme Brook to Maun, rated good
The Environment Agency rated the Meden from Sookholme Brook to Maun as good for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river 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
NG20 in short
Tap water in NG20 (Mansfield) is supplied by Severn Trent in the Mansfield Central zone and scores 8.7 out of 10, against an England and Wales average of 9.0. 1 of 20 tested substances was close to or over a limit. The latest sample is from 16 December 2025.
- Nitrate is within its legal limit but flagged, at 82% of the 50 mg/L maximumAnything over three quarters of a limit is flagged here as worth watching. It has not gone over. See every reading
- 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
- 2nd cleanest of 3 areas tested in MansfieldSquarely mid-table for Mansfield, between NG19 on 8.7 and NG18 on 8.5.
Questions about NG20 water
Is NG20 tap water safe to drink?
Based on the latest tests, NG20 (Mansfield) water scores 8.7/10, which is safe. 1 of 20 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Severn Trent.
What contaminants are in NG20 water?
We tested 20 contaminants in NG20 water. 1 were flagged, including Nitrate.
Who supplies water in NG20?
NG20 (Mansfield) is supplied by Severn Trent. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.
Is NG20 water hard or soft?
No hardness reading has been published for NG20 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 NG20?
With 1 contaminant above recommended levels in NG20, a water filter could help. A filter jug or under-sink filter can reduce most common contaminants. See our filter recommendations for your area.
Are there PFAS forever chemicals in NG20 water?
No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for NG20, 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 NG20?
The Environment Agency rated the Meden from Sookholme Brook to Maun as good for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river 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 river, not of tap water in NG20, which is treated before it reaches homes.
Keep reading
- 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?
- Best Water Filters UKEvery filter type compared on what it actually removes
- 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
Nitrate levelsHow to test your waterBest water filtersFilter shower headsWater testing kitsUK water rankingsWater hardness checkerWater hardness map
River and groundwater readings near NG20
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 | 8.33 pH | None |
| Temperature | 13 °C | None |
| Conductivity | 965 µS/cm | None |
| Ammonia | 0.15 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L |
| Nitrate | 9.6 mg/L | 50 mg/L |
| Nitrite | 0.031 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L |
| Phosphate | 0.057 mg/L | None |
| Dissolved Oxygen | 10.2 mg/L | None |
| Iron | 0.03 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L |
| Lead | 0.00024 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L |
| Cadmium | 0.00005 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L |
| Hardness (as CaCO3) | 509 mg/L | None |
| Zinc | 0.037 mg/L | None |
| Nickel | 0.00021 mg/L | 0.02 mg/L |
| Manganese | 0.013 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L |
| Copper | 0.00062 mg/L | 2 mg/L |
Get alerts for your area
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