Tap water in NG6, NottinghamSafe to drink.Very hard.
Supplied by Severn Trent. 1,147 samples, 22 substances, latest on 19 December 2025. Everything is inside the legal limit, and nothing comes close to it.
9.1 / 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 NG6 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 49% of it. 17 of 19 substances used under a quarter of theirs.
- Nitrate49%
- Trihalomethanes28%
- Arsenic14%
- Aluminium11%
- Fluoride10%
- Iron7%
- Nickel6%
- Lead4%
- Colour4%
- Antimony4%
- Boron3%
- Turbidity3%
- Mercury2%
- Manganese2%
- Selenium1%
- Cadmium1%
- Chromium<1%
- Nitrite<1%
- Copper<1%
- Conductivity 470 µS/cm
- pH 7.34 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% |
| Conductivity | 470 µS/cm | No legal limit | – |
| Turbidity | 0.12 NTU | 4 NTU | 3% |
| pH | 7.34 pH | No legal limit | – |
| Iron | 0.0148 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 7% |
| Nickel | 0.0011 mg/L | 0.02 mg/L | 6% |
| Lead | 0.00044 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 4% |
| Antimony | 0.000198 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | 4% |
| Selenium | 0.0006 mg/L | 0.04 mg/L | 1% |
| Nitrate | 24.6 mg/L | 50 mg/L | 49% |
| Nitrite | 0.003 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L | <1% |
| Manganese | 0.00086 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | 2% |
| Copper | 0.0094 mg/L | 2 mg/L | <1% |
| Fluoride | 0.15 mg/L | 1.5 mg/L | 10% |
| Aluminium | 0.021 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 11% |
| Arsenic | 0.00136 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 14% |
| Cadmium | 0.00006 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | 1% |
| Chromium | 0.00042 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | <1% |
| Trihalomethanes | 0.0276 mg/L | 0.1 mg/L | 28% |
| Mercury | 0.000022 mg/L | 0.001 mg/L | 2% |
| Boron | 0.032 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. NG6 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 NG6
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Your river is the Leen from Source to Day Brook, rated good
The Environment Agency rated the Leen from Source to Day Brook 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. Its ecological rating has improved since the previous assessment.
None of this is a test of your tap water. Environment Agency record · River health across England
118
forever-chemical detections in nearby rivers and groundwater
At 12 sites. The highest was PFHxS (linear) at 0.032 µg/L, at Bulwell Hall Brook Lake Downstream of Rolls Royce at Hucknall, 2.1 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
NG6 in short
Tap water in NG6 (Nottingham) is supplied by Severn Trent in the Nottingham Central zone and scores 9.1 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 19 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
- 6th cleanest of 7 areas tested in Nottingham1 area in Nottingham scored lower. The best is NG5 on 9.3. Every area in Nottingham
- Nitrate is the reading closest to its limit, at 49% 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 NG6 water
Is NG6 tap water safe to drink?
Based on the latest tests, NG6 (Nottingham) water scores 9.1/10, which is safe. 0 of 22 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Severn Trent.
What contaminants are in NG6 water?
We tested 22 contaminants in NG6 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 NG6?
NG6 (Nottingham) is supplied by Severn Trent. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.
Is NG6 water hard or soft?
No hardness reading has been published for NG6 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 NG6?
NG6 water scored 9.1/10 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 NG6 water?
The tap-water tests we hold for NG6 do not include a PFAS result. Environment Agency monitoring found PFAS in 118 river and groundwater samples from 12 sites within 10 km of NG6, the highest being PFHxS (linear) at 0.032 µg/L about 2.1 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 NG6?
The Environment Agency rated the Leen from Source to Day Brook 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. Its ecological rating has improved since the previous assessment. This is a rating of the river, not of tap water in NG6, 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 NG6
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 | 8.04 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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