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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in PO36, Isle of WightSafe to drink.

Supplied by Southern Water. 18,380 samples, 22 substances, latest on 28 April 2026. Everything is inside the legal limit, and nothing comes close to it.

See the filter we recommendSee everything that was tested

9.3 / 10

The tank is as full as the score.

What to do about it

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What's in a glass of PO36 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.

Trihalomethanes came closest to a limit, at 51% of it. 16 of 18 substances used under a quarter of theirs.

0%25%50%75%limitLegal limitChromium: 0.00019 mg/L, <1% of the 0.05 mg/L limitChromium<1%Cadmium: 0.000031 mg/L, <1% of the 0.005 mg/L limitCadmium<1%Copper: 0.0144 mg/L, <1% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper<1%Lead: 0.00009 mg/L, <1% of the 0.01 mg/L limitLead<1%Selenium: 0.00043 mg/L, 1% of the 0.04 mg/L limitSelenium1%Antimony: 0.000058 mg/L, 1% of the 0.005 mg/L limitAntimony1%Nitrite: 0.009 mg/L, 2% of the 0.5 mg/L limitNitrite2%Bromate: 0.00035 mg/L, 3% of the 0.01 mg/L limitBromate3%Manganese: 0.00178 mg/L, 4% of the 0.05 mg/L limitManganese4%Turbidity: 0.159 NTU, 4% of the 4 NTU limitTurbidity4%Arsenic: 0.00043 mg/L, 4% of the 0.01 mg/L limitArsenic4%Aluminium: 0.0113 mg/L, 6% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium6%Iron: 0.0141 mg/L, 7% of the 0.2 mg/L limitIron7%Ammonia: 0.039 mg/L, 8% of the 0.5 mg/L limitAmmonia8%Colour: 3 mg/L Pt/Co, 15% of the 20 mg/L Pt/Co limitColour15%Nickel: 0.00339 mg/L, 17% of the 0.02 mg/L limitNickel17%Nitrate: 15.7 mg/L, 31% of the 50 mg/L limitNitrate31%Trihalomethanes: 0.0514 mg/L, 51% of the 0.1 mg/L limitTrihalomethanes51%
  1. Trihalomethanes51%
  2. Nitrate31%
  3. Nickel17%
  4. Colour15%
  5. Ammonia8%
  6. Iron7%
  7. Aluminium6%
  8. Arsenic4%
  9. Turbidity4%
  10. Manganese4%
  11. Bromate3%
  12. Nitrite2%
  13. Antimony1%
  14. Selenium1%
  15. Lead<1%
  16. Copper<1%
  17. Cadmium<1%
  18. Chromium<1%
  • Coliform Bacteria none found
  • E. coli none found
  • pH 8.1 pH
  • Conductivity 465 µS/cm
All 22 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Coliform Bacteria0 count/100mlMust be zeroNone found
E. coli0 count/100mlMust be zeroNone found
Turbidity0.159 NTU4 NTU
4%
Colour3 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
15%
Aluminium0.0113 mg/L0.2 mg/L
6%
Iron0.0141 mg/L0.2 mg/L
7%
Manganese0.00178 mg/L0.05 mg/L
4%
pH8.1 pHNo legal limit–
Lead0.00009 mg/L0.01 mg/L
<1%
Nitrate15.7 mg/L50 mg/L
31%
Conductivity465 µS/cmNo legal limit–
Nitrite0.009 mg/L0.5 mg/L
2%
Ammonia0.039 mg/L0.5 mg/L
8%
Copper0.0144 mg/L2 mg/L
<1%
Arsenic0.00043 mg/L0.01 mg/L
4%
Cadmium0.000031 mg/L0.005 mg/L
<1%
Chromium0.00019 mg/L0.05 mg/L
<1%
Nickel0.00339 mg/L0.02 mg/L
17%
Antimony0.000058 mg/L0.005 mg/L
1%
Selenium0.00043 mg/L0.04 mg/L
1%
Trihalomethanes0.0514 mg/L0.1 mg/L
51%
Bromate0.00035 mg/L0.01 mg/L
3%
Outside your tap

Your river is the Eastern Yar (Lower), rated moderate

The Environment Agency rated the Eastern Yar (Lower) as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by specific pollutants. 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

9

forever-chemical detections in nearby rivers and groundwater

At 1 site. The highest was 6:2 FTSA at 0.011 µg/L, at R Eastern Yar at Weed Grid St Helens, 5.4 km away, in February 2026. These are river and borehole samples, not tests of your tap water.

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

PO36 in short

Tap water in PO36 (Isle of Wight) is supplied by Southern Water in the Isle of Wight Central zone and scores 9.3 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 28 April 2026.

  • Trihalomethanes is the reading closest to its limit, at 51% of the 0.1 mg/L maximumIt passed with room to spare, and everything else tested sat further below its limit. See every reading
  • 5th cleanest of 12 areas tested in Isle of WightSquarely mid-table for Isle of Wight, between PO31 on 9.3 and PO39 on 9.1.
  • PFAS found at 1 monitoring site within 10 kmThose are river and groundwater samples, not tap water. The highest was 6:2 FTSA about 5.4 km away. What was measured

Next door

PO379.2 out of 10PO309.2 out of 10PO399.1 out of 10PO359.3 out of 10PO419.2 out of 10PO409.2 out of 10PO339.3 out of 10PO319.3 out of 10PO389.2 out of 10PO349.3 out of 10

Questions about PO36 water

Is PO36 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, PO36 (Isle of Wight) water scores 9.3/10, which is safe. 0 of 22 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Southern Water.

What contaminants are in PO36 water?

We tested 22 contaminants in PO36 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 PO36?

PO36 (Isle of Wight) 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 PO36?

PO36 water scored 9.3/10 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 PO36 water?

The tap-water tests we hold for PO36 do not include a PFAS result. Environment Agency monitoring found PFAS in 9 river and groundwater samples from 1 sites within 10 km of PO36, the highest being 6:2 FTSA at 0.011 µg/L about 5.4 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 river near PO36?

The Environment Agency rated the Eastern Yar (Lower) as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by specific pollutants. 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 PO36, 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 PO36

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
Manganese0.142 mg/L0.05 mg/L
Iron5.11 mg/L0.2 mg/L
pH7.6 pHNone
Temperature19.2 °CNone
Conductivity472 µS/cmNone
Ammonia0.037 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Nitrate2.4 mg/L50 mg/L
Nitrite0.015 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Phosphate0.052 mg/LNone
Dissolved Oxygen6.05 mg/LNone
Copper0.00011 mg/L2 mg/L
Lead0.0034 mg/L0.01 mg/L
Chromium0.0024 mg/L0.05 mg/L
Zinc0.0234 mg/LNone
Nickel0.0069 mg/L0.02 mg/L
Mercury0.00007 mg/L0.001 mg/L

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We'll email you when water quality data changes for PO36.

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