Tap water in NG5, NottinghamSafe to drink.Very hard.
Supplied by Severn Trent. 1,584 samples, 22 substances, latest on 18 December 2025. Everything is inside the legal limit, and nothing comes close to it.
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
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 NG5 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 52% of it. 18 of 19 substances used under a quarter of theirs.
- Nitrate52%
- Trihalomethanes21%
- Aluminium11%
- Iron7%
- Fluoride7%
- Arsenic7%
- Nickel5%
- Colour4%
- Turbidity3%
- Boron3%
- Mercury2%
- Manganese2%
- Selenium2%
- Cadmium2%
- Lead1%
- Antimony1%
- Chromium<1%
- Nitrite<1%
- Copper<1%
- Conductivity 489 µS/cm
- pH 7.66 pH
- Phosphate 0.73 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% |
| Copper | 0.0096 mg/L | 2 mg/L | <1% |
| Trihalomethanes | 0.0206 mg/L | 0.1 mg/L | 21% |
| Conductivity | 489 µS/cm | No legal limit | – |
| pH | 7.66 pH | No legal limit | – |
| Fluoride | 0.11 mg/L | 1.5 mg/L | 7% |
| Arsenic | 0.00069 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 7% |
| Cadmium | 0.00008 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | 2% |
| Nitrate | 26.2 mg/L | 50 mg/L | 52% |
| Chromium | 0.00043 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | <1% |
| Nitrite | 0.003 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L | <1% |
| Nickel | 0.001 mg/L | 0.02 mg/L | 5% |
| Lead | 0.00014 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 1% |
| Antimony | 0.000063 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | 1% |
| Selenium | 0.00066 mg/L | 0.04 mg/L | 2% |
| Aluminium | 0.021 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 11% |
| Iron | 0.0148 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 7% |
| Manganese | 0.00086 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | 2% |
| Mercury | 0.000022 mg/L | 0.001 mg/L | 2% |
| Boron | 0.03 mg/L | 1 mg/L | 3% |
| Phosphate | 0.73 mg/L | No legal limit | – |
341mg of limescale minerals in every litre, typical for the NG area. NG5 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 NG5
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Your river is the Day Brook Catchment (trib of Leen), rated moderate
The Environment Agency rated the Day Brook Catchment (trib of Leen) 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 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
121
forever-chemical detections in nearby rivers and groundwater
At 11 sites. The highest was PFHxS (linear) at 0.032 µg/L, at Bulwell Hall Brook Lake Downstream of Rolls Royce at Hucknall, 4.3 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
NG5 in short
Tap water in NG5 (Nottingham) is supplied by Severn Trent in the Nottingham Central zone and scores 9.3 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.
- The cleanest tap water of the 7 areas tested in NottinghamNG5 scores 9.3 out of 10, ahead of NG1 in second place on 9.2. Every area in Nottingham
- 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 52% of the 50 mg/L maximumIt passed with room to spare, and everything else tested sat further below its limit. See every reading
Questions about NG5 water
Is NG5 tap water safe to drink?
Based on the latest tests, NG5 (Nottingham) water scores 9.3/10, which is safe. 0 of 22 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Severn Trent.
What contaminants are in NG5 water?
We tested 22 contaminants in NG5 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 NG5?
NG5 (Nottingham) is supplied by Severn Trent. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.
Is NG5 water hard or soft?
No hardness reading has been published for NG5 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 NG5?
NG5 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 NG5 water?
The tap-water tests we hold for NG5 do not include a PFAS result. Environment Agency monitoring found PFAS in 121 river and groundwater samples from 11 sites within 10 km of NG5, the highest being PFHxS (linear) at 0.032 µg/L about 4.3 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 NG5?
The Environment Agency rated the Day Brook Catchment (trib of Leen) 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 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 NG5, 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 NG5
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Turbidity | 4.8 NTU | 4 NTU |
| pH | 8.04 pH | None |
| Temperature | 17.2 °C | None |
| Conductivity | 482 µS/cm | None |
| Ammonia | 0.17 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L |
| Nitrate | 2.8 mg/L | 50 mg/L |
| Nitrite | 0.06 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L |
| Phosphate | 0.1 mg/L | None |
| Dissolved Oxygen | 8.68 mg/L | None |
| Aluminium | 0.023 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L |
| Copper | 0.0012 mg/L | 2 mg/L |
| Zinc | 0.0061 mg/L | None |
| Chromium | 0.00099 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L |
| Nickel | 0.0019 mg/L | 0.02 mg/L |
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