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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in PO12, GosportSafe to drink.

Supplied by Southern Water. 2,951 samples, 21 substances, latest on 30 December 2024. Everything is inside the legal limit, and nothing comes close to it.

See the filter we recommendSee everything that was tested

8.9 / 10

The tank is as full as the score.

What to do about it

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What's in a glass of PO12 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 70% of it. 18 of 20 substances used under a quarter of theirs.

0%25%50%75%limitLegal limitSelenium: 0.0008 mg/L, 2% of the 0.04 mg/L limitSelenium2%Nitrite: 0.011 mg/L, 2% of the 0.5 mg/L limitNitrite2%Mercury: 0.00004 mg/L, 4% of the 0.001 mg/L limitMercury4%Antimony: 0.0002 mg/L, 4% of the 0.005 mg/L limitAntimony4%Aluminium: 0.0081 mg/L, 4% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium4%Cadmium: 0.00022 mg/L, 4% of the 0.005 mg/L limitCadmium4%Chromium: 0.0023 mg/L, 5% of the 0.05 mg/L limitChromium5%Lead: 0.0005 mg/L, 5% of the 0.01 mg/L limitLead5%Manganese: 0.0025 mg/L, 5% of the 0.05 mg/L limitManganese5%Nickel: 0.0013 mg/L, 7% of the 0.02 mg/L limitNickel7%Iron: 0.0138 mg/L, 7% of the 0.2 mg/L limitIron7%Turbidity: 0.28 NTU, 7% of the 4 NTU limitTurbidity7%Bromate: 0.0008 mg/L, 8% of the 0.01 mg/L limitBromate8%Fluoride: 0.127 mg/L, 8% of the 1.5 mg/L limitFluoride8%Copper: 0.172 mg/L, 9% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper9%Colour: 1.93 mg/L Pt/Co, 10% of the 20 mg/L Pt/Co limitColour10%Arsenic: 0.001 mg/L, 10% of the 0.01 mg/L limitArsenic10%Boron: 0.14 mg/L, 14% of the 1 mg/L limitBoron14%Trihalomethanes: 0.0375 mg/L, 38% of the 0.1 mg/L limitTrihalomethanes38%Nitrate: 35.1 mg/L, 70% of the 50 mg/L limitNitrate70%
  1. Nitrate70%
  2. Trihalomethanes38%
  3. Boron14%
  4. Arsenic10%
  5. Colour10%
  6. Copper9%
  7. Fluoride8%
  8. Bromate8%
  9. Turbidity7%
  10. Iron7%
  11. Nickel7%
  12. Lead5%
  13. Manganese5%
  14. Chromium5%
  15. Cadmium4%
  16. Aluminium4%
  17. Mercury4%
  18. Antimony4%
  19. Nitrite2%
  20. Selenium2%
  • Conductivity 560 µS/cm
All 21 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Conductivity560 µS/cmNo legal limit–
Colour1.93 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
10%
Aluminium0.0081 mg/L0.2 mg/L
4%
Iron0.0138 mg/L0.2 mg/L
7%
Manganese0.0025 mg/L0.05 mg/L
5%
Turbidity0.28 NTU4 NTU
7%
Nitrite0.011 mg/L0.5 mg/L
2%
Nitrate35.1 mg/L50 mg/L
70%
Lead0.0005 mg/L0.01 mg/L
5%
Nickel0.0013 mg/L0.02 mg/L
7%
Copper0.172 mg/L2 mg/L
9%
Boron0.14 mg/L1 mg/L
14%
Chromium0.0023 mg/L0.05 mg/L
5%
Cadmium0.00022 mg/L0.005 mg/L
4%
Mercury0.00004 mg/L0.001 mg/L
4%
Fluoride0.127 mg/L1.5 mg/L
8%
Antimony0.0002 mg/L0.005 mg/L
4%
Arsenic0.001 mg/L0.01 mg/L
10%
Selenium0.0008 mg/L0.04 mg/L
2%
Bromate0.0008 mg/L0.01 mg/L
8%
Trihalomethanes0.0375 mg/L0.1 mg/L
38%
Outside your tap

Your estuary is the Portsmouth Harbour, rated moderate

The Environment Agency rated the Portsmouth Harbour as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the estuary is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by insects and other small river life, nitrogen and seagrass and saltmarsh. 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

Within 10 km

32

forever-chemical detections in nearby rivers and groundwater

At 2 sites. The highest was PFOS at 0.004 µg/L, at Priors Hold Farm, Wallington, 9.1 km away, in July 2023. These are river and borehole samples, not tests of your tap water.

Every PFAS sample around Portsmouth · Which filters remove PFAS · PFAS explained

PO12 in short

Tap water in PO12 (Gosport) is supplied by Southern Water in the Gosport Central zone and scores 8.9 out of 10, against an England and Wales average of 9.0. None of the 21 tested substances came close to a limit. The latest sample is from 30 December 2024.

  • Nitrate is the reading closest to its limit, at 70% of the 50 mg/L maximumIt passed with room to spare, and everything else tested sat further below its limit. See every reading
  • PFAS found at 2 monitoring sites within 10 kmThose are river and groundwater samples, not tap water. The highest was PFOS about 9.1 km away. What was measured
  • Right on the national average of 9 out of 10Most of the country's tested districts land within half a point of PO12. Compare every area

Next door

PO138.7 out of 10

Questions about PO12 water

Is PO12 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, PO12 (Gosport) water scores 8.9/10, which is safe. 0 of 21 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Southern Water.

What contaminants are in PO12 water?

We tested 21 contaminants in PO12 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 PO12?

PO12 (Gosport) is supplied by Southern Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.

Should I use a water filter in PO12?

PO12 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 PO12 water?

The tap-water tests we hold for PO12 do not include a PFAS result. Environment Agency monitoring found PFAS in 32 river and groundwater samples from 2 sites within 10 km of PO12, the highest being PFOS at 0.004 µg/L about 9.1 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 estuary near PO12?

The Environment Agency rated the Portsmouth Harbour as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the estuary is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by insects and other small river life, nitrogen and seagrass and saltmarsh. 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 estuary, not of tap water in PO12, which is treated before it reaches homes.

Keep reading

PFAS explainedHow to test your waterBest water filtersFilter shower headsWater testing kitsUK water rankingsWater hardness checkerWater hardness map

River and groundwater readings near PO12

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.

SubstanceReadingDrinking water limit
pH7.98 pHNone
Temperature13.6 °CNone
Conductivity569 µS/cmNone
Nitrate2.4 mg/L50 mg/L
Phosphate0.066 mg/LNone
Dissolved Oxygen9.04 mg/LNone
Ammonia0.044 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Nitrite0.046 mg/L0.5 mg/L

Get alerts for your area

We'll email you when water quality data changes for PO12.

Source: Southern Water test results, published through the Stream Water Data Portal; rivers and PFAS from the Environment Agency. Page updated . How we score · Where the data comes from