Tap water in NG3, NottinghamSafe to drink.Very hard.
Supplied by Severn Trent. 1,765 samples, 22 substances, latest on 18 December 2025. Everything is inside the legal limit, and nothing comes close to it.
9.2 / 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 NG3 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.
Trihalomethanes came closest to a limit, at 48% of it. 18 of 19 substances used under a quarter of theirs.
- Trihalomethanes48%
- Nitrate24%
- Fluoride19%
- Aluminium11%
- Nickel10%
- Antimony6%
- Colour4%
- Iron3%
- Turbidity3%
- Boron3%
- Cadmium3%
- Nitrite3%
- Mercury2%
- Selenium2%
- Manganese1%
- Arsenic1%
- Lead1%
- Chromium<1%
- Copper<1%
- pH 8.04 pH
- Conductivity 354 µS/cm
- Phosphate 0.555 mg/L
All 22 results as a table
| Substance | Result | Legal limit | Share of limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colour | 0.8 mg/L Pt/Co | 20 mg/L Pt/Co | 4% |
| Turbidity | 0.12 NTU | 4 NTU | 3% |
| pH | 8.04 pH | No legal limit | – |
| Conductivity | 354 µS/cm | No legal limit | – |
| Copper | 0.0065 mg/L | 2 mg/L | <1% |
| Fluoride | 0.29 mg/L | 1.5 mg/L | 19% |
| Arsenic | 0.00014 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 1% |
| Cadmium | 0.00014 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | 3% |
| Chromium | 0.00042 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | <1% |
| Nickel | 0.0019 mg/L | 0.02 mg/L | 10% |
| Lead | 0.00014 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 1% |
| Antimony | 0.000308 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | 6% |
| Selenium | 0.00064 mg/L | 0.04 mg/L | 2% |
| Nitrate | 11.9 mg/L | 50 mg/L | 24% |
| Nitrite | 0.013 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L | 3% |
| Aluminium | 0.021 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 11% |
| Iron | 0.007 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 3% |
| Manganese | 0.00073 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | 1% |
| Trihalomethanes | 0.0481 mg/L | 0.1 mg/L | 48% |
| Mercury | 0.000022 mg/L | 0.001 mg/L | 2% |
| Boron | 0.03 mg/L | 1 mg/L | 3% |
| Phosphate | 0.555 mg/L | No legal limit | – |
341mg of limescale minerals in every litre, typical for the NG area. NG3 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 NG3
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Your river is the Trent from Soar to The Beck, rated moderate
The Environment Agency rated the Trent from Soar to The Beck as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by phosphate and water plants and algae. 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
89
forever-chemical detections in nearby rivers and groundwater
At 9 sites. The highest was PFHxS (linear) at 0.032 µg/L, at Bulwell Hall Brook Lake Downstream of Rolls Royce at Hucknall, 7.2 km away, in May 2024. These are river and borehole samples, not tests of your tap water.
Every PFAS sample around Nottingham · Which filters remove PFAS · PFAS explained
NG3 in short
Tap water in NG3 (Nottingham) is supplied by Severn Trent in the Nottingham Central zone and scores 9.2 out of 10, against an England and Wales average of 9.0. None of the 22 tested substances came close to a limit. The latest sample is from 18 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
- Trihalomethanes is the reading closest to its limit, at 48% of the 0.1 mg/L maximumIt passed with room to spare, and everything else tested sat further below its limit. See every reading
- 3rd cleanest of 7 areas tested in NottinghamOnly 2 areas in Nottingham scored higher. The best is NG5 on 9.3. Every area in Nottingham
Questions about NG3 water
Is NG3 tap water safe to drink?
Based on the latest tests, NG3 (Nottingham) water scores 9.2/10, which is safe. 0 of 22 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Severn Trent.
What contaminants are in NG3 water?
We tested 22 contaminants in NG3 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 NG3?
NG3 (Nottingham) is supplied by Severn Trent. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.
Is NG3 water hard or soft?
No hardness reading has been published for NG3 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 NG3?
NG3 water scored 9.2/10 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 NG3 water?
The tap-water tests we hold for NG3 do not include a PFAS result. Environment Agency monitoring found PFAS in 89 river and groundwater samples from 9 sites within 10 km of NG3, the highest being PFHxS (linear) at 0.032 µg/L about 7.2 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 NG3?
The Environment Agency rated the Trent from Soar to The Beck as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by phosphate and water plants and algae. 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 NG3, 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 kitsAll of NottinghamUK water rankingsWater hardness checkerWater hardness map
River and groundwater readings near NG3
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Lead | 0.00017 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L |
| pH | 8.24 pH | None |
| Temperature | 23.1 °C | None |
| Conductivity | 941 µS/cm | None |
| Cadmium | 0.000074 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L |
| Ammonia | 0.037 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L |
| Nitrate | 10 mg/L | 50 mg/L |
| Nitrite | 0.019 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L |
| Phosphate | 0.23 mg/L | None |
| Zinc | 0.0083 mg/L | None |
| Nickel | 0.0048 mg/L | 0.02 mg/L |
| Arsenic | 0.0014 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L |
| Turbidity | 1.2 NTU | 4 NTU |
| Copper | 0.0032 mg/L | 2 mg/L |
| Manganese | 0.013 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L |
| Boron | 0.16 mg/L | 1 mg/L |
| Dissolved Oxygen | 9.18 mg/L | None |
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