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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in PO38, Isle of WightSafe to drink.

Supplied by Southern Water. 20,748 samples, 22 substances, latest on 29 April 2026. Everything is inside the legal limit, and nothing comes close to it.

See the filter we recommendSee everything that was tested

9.2 / 10

The tank is as full as the score.

What to do about it

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What's in a glass of PO38 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 69% of it. 16 of 18 substances used under a quarter of theirs.

0%25%50%75%limitLegal limitCopper: 0.0023 mg/L, <1% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper<1%Chromium: 0.00021 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%Antimony: 0.000044 mg/L, <1% of the 0.005 mg/L limitAntimony<1%Selenium: 0.00044 mg/L, 1% of the 0.04 mg/L limitSelenium1%Lead: 0.00016 mg/L, 2% of the 0.01 mg/L limitLead2%Nitrite: 0.009 mg/L, 2% of the 0.5 mg/L limitNitrite2%Arsenic: 0.00023 mg/L, 2% of the 0.01 mg/L limitArsenic2%Turbidity: 0.13 NTU, 3% of the 4 NTU limitTurbidity3%Nickel: 0.00066 mg/L, 3% of the 0.02 mg/L limitNickel3%Manganese: 0.00178 mg/L, 4% of the 0.05 mg/L limitManganese4%Iron: 0.00928 mg/L, 5% of the 0.2 mg/L limitIron5%Aluminium: 0.0113 mg/L, 6% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium6%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%Bromate: 0.00238 mg/L, 24% of the 0.01 mg/L limitBromate24%Trihalomethanes: 0.0273 mg/L, 27% of the 0.1 mg/L limitTrihalomethanes27%Nitrate: 34.3 mg/L, 69% of the 50 mg/L limitNitrate69%
  1. Nitrate69%
  2. Trihalomethanes27%
  3. Bromate24%
  4. Colour15%
  5. Ammonia8%
  6. Aluminium6%
  7. Iron5%
  8. Manganese4%
  9. Nickel3%
  10. Turbidity3%
  11. Arsenic2%
  12. Nitrite2%
  13. Lead2%
  14. Selenium1%
  15. Antimony<1%
  16. Cadmium<1%
  17. Chromium<1%
  18. Copper<1%
  • Coliform Bacteria none found
  • E. coli none found
  • pH 7.4 pH
  • Conductivity 568 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
Turbidity0.13 NTU4 NTU
3%
Colour3 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
15%
pH7.4 pHNo legal limit–
Nitrate34.3 mg/L50 mg/L
69%
Aluminium0.0113 mg/L0.2 mg/L
6%
Iron0.00928 mg/L0.2 mg/L
5%
Manganese0.00178 mg/L0.05 mg/L
4%
Lead0.00016 mg/L0.01 mg/L
2%
Conductivity568 µS/cmNo legal limit–
Ammonia0.039 mg/L0.5 mg/L
8%
Copper0.0023 mg/L2 mg/L
<1%
Bromate0.00238 mg/L0.01 mg/L
24%
Trihalomethanes0.0273 mg/L0.1 mg/L
27%
Nitrite0.009 mg/L0.5 mg/L
2%
Arsenic0.00023 mg/L0.01 mg/L
2%
Cadmium0.000031 mg/L0.005 mg/L
<1%
Chromium0.00021 mg/L0.05 mg/L
<1%
Nickel0.00066 mg/L0.02 mg/L
3%
Antimony0.000044 mg/L0.005 mg/L
<1%
Selenium0.00044 mg/L0.04 mg/L
1%
Outside your tap

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

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

PO38 in short

Tap water in PO38 (Isle of Wight) is supplied by Southern Water in the Isle of Wight Central zone and scores 9.2 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 29 April 2026.

  • Nitrate is the reading closest to its limit, at 69% of the 50 mg/L maximumIt passed with room to spare, and everything else tested sat further below its limit. See every reading
  • 8th 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.
  • Scores higher than 1 of 10 neighbouring districtsWater here is typical for the immediate area, which usually means the same treatment works and the same supply zone.

Next door

PO309.2 out of 10PO399.1 out of 10PO359.3 out of 10PO419.2 out of 10PO369.3 out of 10PO409.2 out of 10PO339.3 out of 10PO319.3 out of 10PO379.2 out of 10PO349.3 out of 10

Questions about PO38 water

Is PO38 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, PO38 (Isle of Wight) water scores 9.2/10, which is safe. 0 of 22 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Southern Water.

What contaminants are in PO38 water?

We tested 22 contaminants in PO38 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels.

Who supplies water in PO38?

PO38 (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 PO38?

PO38 water scored 9.2/10 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 PO38 water?

No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for PO38, 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 PO38?

The Environment Agency rated the Eastern Yar (Upper) as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by phosphate. 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 PO38, which is treated before it reaches homes.

Keep reading

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

River and groundwater readings near PO38

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
Manganese0.22 mg/L0.05 mg/L
Iron0.18 mg/L0.2 mg/L
Arsenic0.0278 mg/L0.01 mg/L
pH7.78 pHNone
Temperature14.3 °CNone
Conductivity537 µS/cmNone
Nitrate6.2 mg/L50 mg/L
Nitrite0.0059 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Phosphate0.17 mg/LNone
Dissolved Oxygen9.62 mg/LNone
Ammonia0.075 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Copper0.00062 mg/L2 mg/L
Nickel0.0043 mg/L0.02 mg/L

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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