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England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in PO16, FarehamNitrite is over the limit.

Supplied by Southern Water. 4,799 samples, 21 substances, latest on 31 December 2024. Nitrite came in above the legal limit. Everything else passed.

See the filter we recommendSee everything that was tested

8.4 / 10

The tank is as full as the score.

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What's in a glass of PO16 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.

Nitrite is over its legal limit, at 131% of it.

0%25%50%75%limitLegal limitSelenium: 0.0008 mg/L, 2% of the 0.04 mg/L limitSelenium2%Antimony: 0.0002 mg/L, 4% of the 0.005 mg/L limitAntimony4%Mercury: 0.00004 mg/L, 4% of the 0.001 mg/L limitMercury4%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%Aluminium: 0.011 mg/L, 5% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium5%Fluoride: 0.085 mg/L, 6% of the 1.5 mg/L limitFluoride6%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%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: 0.0203 mg/L, 20% of the 0.1 mg/L limitTrihalomethanes20%Nitrate: 32.7 mg/L, 65% of the 50 mg/L limitNitrate65%Nitrite: 0.654 mg/L, 131% of the 0.5 mg/L limitNitrite131%
  1. Nitrite131%
  2. Nitrate65%
  3. Trihalomethanes20%
  4. Boron14%
  5. Arsenic10%
  6. Colour10%
  7. Copper9%
  8. Bromate8%
  9. Turbidity7%
  10. Iron7%
  11. Nickel7%
  12. Fluoride6%
  13. Aluminium5%
  14. Lead5%
  15. Manganese5%
  16. Chromium5%
  17. Cadmium4%
  18. Antimony4%
  19. Mercury4%
  20. Selenium2%
  • Conductivity 555 µS/cm
All 21 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Nitrite0.654 mg/L0.5 mg/L
131%
Turbidity0.28 NTU4 NTU
7%
Conductivity555 µS/cmNo legal limit–
Colour1.93 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
10%
Nitrate32.7 mg/L50 mg/L
65%
Aluminium0.011 mg/L0.2 mg/L
5%
Iron0.0138 mg/L0.2 mg/L
7%
Manganese0.0025 mg/L0.05 mg/L
5%
Fluoride0.085 mg/L1.5 mg/L
6%
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%
Trihalomethanes0.0203 mg/L0.1 mg/L
20%
Mercury0.00004 mg/L0.001 mg/L
4%
Boron0.14 mg/L1 mg/L
14%
Chromium0.0023 mg/L0.05 mg/L
5%
Cadmium0.00022 mg/L0.005 mg/L
4%
Lead0.0005 mg/L0.01 mg/L
5%
Nickel0.0013 mg/L0.02 mg/L
7%
Copper0.172 mg/L2 mg/L
9%
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, 3.3 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

PO16 in short

Tap water in PO16 (Fareham) is supplied by Southern Water in the Fareham Central zone and scores 8.4 out of 10, against an England and Wales average of 9.0. 1 of 21 tested substances was close to or over a limit. The latest sample is from 31 December 2024.

  • Nitrite was measured at 0.65 mg/L, 31% over the UK limitIt is the only one of 21 tested substances to go over its limit. See the full results
  • The lowest score of the 4 areas tested in FarehamPO16 scores 8.4 out of 10. The best in Fareham, SO31, scores 9.3.
  • Every one of the 4 neighbouring districts scores higherSO31 next door scores 9.3, against 8.4 here. Supply zones, not distance, explain the gap. See SO31

Next door

PO149.2 out of 10PO178.8 out of 10SO319.3 out of 10 · 276 mg/LPO138.7 out of 10

Questions about PO16 water

Is PO16 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, PO16 (Fareham) water scores 8.4/10, which is safe. 1 of 21 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Southern Water.

What contaminants are in PO16 water?

We tested 21 contaminants in PO16 water. 1 were flagged, including Nitrite. 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 PO16?

PO16 (Fareham) 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 PO16?

With 1 contaminant above recommended levels in PO16, a water filter could help. A reverse osmosis or activated carbon filter is recommended for PFAS removal. See our filter recommendations for your area.

Are there PFAS forever chemicals in PO16 water?

The tap-water tests we hold for PO16 do not include a PFAS result. Environment Agency monitoring found PFAS in 32 river and groundwater samples from 2 sites within 10 km of PO16, the highest being PFOS at 0.004 µg/L about 3.3 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 estuary near PO16?

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 PO16, which is treated before it reaches homes.

Keep reading

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

River and groundwater readings near PO16

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
pH7.88 pHNone
Temperature18.3 °CNone
Conductivity1242 µS/cmNone
Ammonia0.044 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Nitrate4.4 mg/L50 mg/L
Nitrite0.046 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Phosphate0.5 mg/LNone
Dissolved Oxygen8.15 mg/LNone
Copper0.0064 mg/L2 mg/L
Zinc0.0234 mg/LNone

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We'll email you when water quality data changes for PO16.

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