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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in PO2, PortsmouthSafe to drink.

Supplied by Portsmouth Water. 4,056 samples, 21 substances, latest on 31 December 2024. Everything is inside the legal limit, and nothing comes close to it.

See the filter we recommendSee everything that was tested

8.7 / 10

The tank is as full as the score.

What to do about it

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What's in a glass of PO2 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 67% 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%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%Manganese: 0.0025 mg/L, 5% of the 0.05 mg/L limitManganese5%Aluminium: 0.013 mg/L, 7% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium7%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%Fluoride: 0.111 mg/L, 7% of the 1.5 mg/L limitFluoride7%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: 0.0195 mg/L, 20% of the 0.1 mg/L limitTrihalomethanes20%Lead: 0.0034 mg/L, 34% of the 0.01 mg/L limitLead34%Nitrate: 33.4 mg/L, 67% of the 50 mg/L limitNitrate67%
  1. Nitrate67%
  2. Lead34%
  3. Trihalomethanes20%
  4. Boron14%
  5. Arsenic10%
  6. Colour10%
  7. Copper9%
  8. Bromate8%
  9. Fluoride7%
  10. Turbidity7%
  11. Iron7%
  12. Aluminium7%
  13. Nickel7%
  14. Manganese5%
  15. Chromium5%
  16. Cadmium4%
  17. Mercury4%
  18. Antimony4%
  19. Nitrite2%
  20. Selenium2%
  • Conductivity 530 µS/cm
All 21 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Turbidity0.28 NTU4 NTU
7%
Conductivity530 µS/cmNo legal limit–
Aluminium0.013 mg/L0.2 mg/L
7%
Iron0.0138 mg/L0.2 mg/L
7%
Manganese0.0025 mg/L0.05 mg/L
5%
Colour1.93 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
10%
Mercury0.00004 mg/L0.001 mg/L
4%
Chromium0.0023 mg/L0.05 mg/L
5%
Cadmium0.00022 mg/L0.005 mg/L
4%
Fluoride0.111 mg/L1.5 mg/L
7%
Trihalomethanes0.0195 mg/L0.1 mg/L
20%
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%
Nitrite0.011 mg/L0.5 mg/L
2%
Nitrate33.4 mg/L50 mg/L
67%
Lead0.0034 mg/L0.01 mg/L
34%
Nickel0.0013 mg/L0.02 mg/L
7%
Copper0.172 mg/L2 mg/L
9%
Boron0.14 mg/L1 mg/L
14%
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

43

forever-chemical detections in nearby rivers and groundwater

At 3 sites. The highest was PFHxA at 0.04 µg/L, at Hermitage Stream at B2150 Havant - New Road, 7.4 km away, in June 2024. These are river and borehole samples, not tests of your tap water.

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

PO2 in short

Tap water in PO2 (Portsmouth) is supplied by Portsmouth Water in the Portsmouth Central zone and scores 8.7 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 31 December 2024.

  • The cleanest tap water of the 6 areas tested in PortsmouthPO2 scores 8.7 out of 10, ahead of PO6 in second place on 8.5. Every area in Portsmouth
  • Nitrate is the reading closest to its limit, at 67% of the 50 mg/L maximumIt passed with room to spare, and everything else tested sat further below its limit. See every reading
  • Scores higher than all 5 neighbouring districtsThe nearest rival is PO6 on 8.5, against 8.7 here. Compare with PO6

Next door

PO58.4 out of 10PO48.4 out of 10PO68.5 out of 10PO18.4 out of 10PO38.4 out of 10

Questions about PO2 water

Is PO2 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, PO2 (Portsmouth) water scores 8.7/10, which is safe. 0 of 21 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Portsmouth Water.

What contaminants are in PO2 water?

We tested 21 contaminants in PO2 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 PO2?

PO2 (Portsmouth) is supplied by Portsmouth Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.

Should I use a water filter in PO2?

PO2 water scored 8.7/10 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 PO2 water?

The tap-water tests we hold for PO2 do not include a PFAS result. Environment Agency monitoring found PFAS in 43 river and groundwater samples from 3 sites within 10 km of PO2, the highest being PFHxA at 0.04 µg/L about 7.4 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 PO2?

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 PO2, which is treated before it reaches homes.

Keep reading

PFAS explainedHow to test your waterBest water filtersFilter shower headsWater testing kitsAll of PortsmouthUK water rankingsWater hardness checkerWater hardness map

River and groundwater readings near PO2

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
pH7.51 pHNone
Temperature11.1 °CNone
Conductivity552 µS/cmNone
Nitrate6.5 mg/L50 mg/L
Phosphate0.039 mg/LNone
Dissolved Oxygen10.1 mg/LNone
Ammonia0.041 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Nitrite0.011 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Hardness (as CaCO3)364 mg/LNone
Fluoride0.289 mg/L1.5 mg/L

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Source: Portsmouth 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