Tap water in NN17, North NorthamptonshireSafe to drink.Very hard.
Supplied by Anglian Water. 1,054 samples, 22 substances, latest on 10 December 2024. Everything is inside the legal limit, and nothing comes close to it.
8.9 / 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 214 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 NN17 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.
Lead came closest to a limit, at 49% of it. 17 of 19 substances used under a quarter of theirs.
- Lead49%
- Nitrate34%
- Nickel23%
- Nitrite20%
- Fluoride18%
- Trihalomethanes15%
- Bromate14%
- Iron11%
- Boron7%
- Turbidity6%
- Aluminium6%
- Manganese6%
- Mercury6%
- Antimony5%
- Arsenic3%
- Selenium2%
- Chromium2%
- Copper2%
- Cadmium<1%
- Conductivity 553 µS/cm
- Coliform Bacteria none found
- E. coli none found
All 22 results as a table
| Substance | Result | Legal limit | Share of limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turbidity | 0.24 NTU | 4 NTU | 6% |
| Nitrate | 17.1 mg/L | 50 mg/L | 34% |
| Nitrite | 0.1 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L | 20% |
| Aluminium | 0.012 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 6% |
| Iron | 0.021 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 11% |
| Manganese | 0.003 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | 6% |
| Conductivity | 553 µS/cm | No legal limit | – |
| Coliform Bacteria | 0 count/100ml | Must be zero | None found |
| E. coli | 0 count/100ml | Must be zero | None found |
| Boron | 0.07 mg/L | 1 mg/L | 7% |
| Trihalomethanes | 0.0147 mg/L | 0.1 mg/L | 15% |
| Bromate | 0.00135 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 14% |
| Copper | 0.03 mg/L | 2 mg/L | 2% |
| Fluoride | 0.27 mg/L | 1.5 mg/L | 18% |
| Arsenic | 0.00028 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 3% |
| Cadmium | 0.00002 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | <1% |
| Chromium | 0.00076 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | 2% |
| Mercury | 0.00006 mg/L | 0.001 mg/L | 6% |
| Nickel | 0.00461 mg/L | 0.02 mg/L | 23% |
| Lead | 0.0049 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 49% |
| Antimony | 0.00026 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | 5% |
| Selenium | 0.00072 mg/L | 0.04 mg/L | 2% |
214mg of limescale minerals in every litre
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 NN17
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Your river is the Northern Stream, rated moderate
The Environment Agency rated the Northern Stream 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, phosphate and ammonia. 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
NN17 in short
Tap water in NN17 (North Northamptonshire) is supplied by Anglian Water in the North Northamptonshire Central zone and scores 8.9 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 10 December 2024.
- 8th cleanest of 10 areas tested in North Northamptonshire2 areas in North Northamptonshire scored lower. The best is NN14 on 9.3.
- Lead is the reading closest to its limit, at 49% of the 0.01 mg/L maximumIt passed with room to spare, and everything else tested sat further below its limit. See every reading
- Hard water at 214 mg/LHard starts at 180 mg/L, the point where a softener begins to pay for itself. Limescale will build up in NN17. How hardness is measured
Questions about NN17 water
Is NN17 tap water safe to drink?
Based on the latest tests, NN17 (North Northamptonshire) water scores 8.9/10, which is safe. 0 of 22 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Anglian Water.
What contaminants are in NN17 water?
We tested 22 contaminants in NN17 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels.
Who supplies water in NN17?
NN17 (North Northamptonshire) is supplied by Anglian Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.
Is NN17 water hard or soft?
Water in NN17 (North Northamptonshire) has a hardness of 214 mg/L CaCO3, which is classified as hard. Hard water can cause limescale buildup. A water softener or filter jug may help.
Should I use a water filter in NN17?
NN17 water scored 8.9/10 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 NN17 water?
No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for NN17, 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 NN17?
The Environment Agency rated the Northern Stream 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, phosphate and ammonia. 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 NN17, 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?
- Is UK Tap Water Safe?Everything you need to know about tap water safety in the UK
- 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
How to test your waterBest water filtersFilter shower headsWater testing kitsUK water rankingsWater hardness checkerWater hardness map
River and groundwater readings near NN17
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Dissolved Oxygen | 3.95 mg/L | None |
| pH | 0.79 pH | None |
| Lead | 0.0059 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L |
| Temperature | 14.4 °C | None |
| Cadmium | 0.00024 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L |
| Ammonia | 0.082 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L |
| Nitrate | 3.2 mg/L | 50 mg/L |
| Nitrite | 0.072 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L |
| Hardness (as CaCO3) | 503 mg/L | None |
| Phosphate | 0.028 mg/L | None |
| PFAS (total) | 0.031 µg/L | None |
Get alerts for your area
We'll email you when water quality data changes for NN17.