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England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in PO5, PortsmouthNitrite is over the limit.

Supplied by Portsmouth Water. 2,903 samples, 21 substances, latest on 20 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.

What to do about it

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What's in a glass of PO5 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 140% 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%Bromate: 0.0005 mg/L, 5% of the 0.01 mg/L limitBromate5%Manganese: 0.0025 mg/L, 5% of the 0.05 mg/L limitManganese5%Aluminium: 0.0106 mg/L, 5% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium5%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%Fluoride: 0.107 mg/L, 7% of the 1.5 mg/L limitFluoride7%Turbidity: 0.318 NTU, 8% of the 4 NTU limitTurbidity8%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%Nitrate: 35.1 mg/L, 70% of the 50 mg/L limitNitrate70%Nitrite: 0.702 mg/L, 140% of the 0.5 mg/L limitNitrite140%
  1. Nitrite140%
  2. Nitrate70%
  3. Trihalomethanes20%
  4. Boron14%
  5. Arsenic10%
  6. Colour10%
  7. Copper9%
  8. Turbidity8%
  9. Fluoride7%
  10. Iron7%
  11. Nickel7%
  12. Aluminium5%
  13. Lead5%
  14. Bromate5%
  15. Manganese5%
  16. Chromium5%
  17. Cadmium4%
  18. Antimony4%
  19. Mercury4%
  20. Selenium2%
  • Conductivity 530 µS/cm
All 21 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Nitrite0.702 mg/L0.5 mg/L
140%
Aluminium0.0106 mg/L0.2 mg/L
5%
Iron0.0138 mg/L0.2 mg/L
7%
Manganese0.0025 mg/L0.05 mg/L
5%
Turbidity0.318 NTU4 NTU
8%
Conductivity530 µS/cmNo legal limit–
Colour1.93 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
10%
Lead0.0005 mg/L0.01 mg/L
5%
Nickel0.0013 mg/L0.02 mg/L
7%
Copper0.172 mg/L2 mg/L
9%
Fluoride0.107 mg/L1.5 mg/L
7%
Antimony0.0002 mg/L0.005 mg/L
4%
Arsenic0.001 mg/L0.01 mg/L
10%
Selenium0.0008 mg/L0.04 mg/L
2%
Bromate0.0005 mg/L0.01 mg/L
5%
Nitrate35.1 mg/L50 mg/L
70%
Boron0.14 mg/L1 mg/L
14%
Mercury0.00004 mg/L0.001 mg/L
4%
Chromium0.0023 mg/L0.05 mg/L
5%
Cadmium0.00022 mg/L0.005 mg/L
4%
Trihalomethanes0.0195 mg/L0.1 mg/L
20%
Outside your tap

Your coastal water is the Solent, rated moderate

The Environment Agency rated the Solent as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the coastal water is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by 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

6

forever-chemical detections in nearby rivers and groundwater

At 1 site. The highest was PFBA at 0.0016 µg/L, at River Wallington at Riversdale, 9.8 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

PO5 in short

Tap water in PO5 (Portsmouth) is supplied by Portsmouth Water in the Portsmouth 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 20 December 2024.

  • Nitrite was measured at 0.7 mg/L, 40% 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 6 areas tested in PortsmouthPO5 scores 8.4 out of 10. The best in Portsmouth, PO2, scores 8.7. Every area in Portsmouth
  • 0.6 points below the national average of 9Below the typical tested district in the UK, which is worth knowing before you choose a filter. Compare every area

Next door

PO28.7 out of 10PO48.4 out of 10PO68.5 out of 10PO18.4 out of 10PO38.4 out of 10

Questions about PO5 water

Is PO5 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, PO5 (Portsmouth) water scores 8.4/10, which is safe. 1 of 21 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Portsmouth Water.

What contaminants are in PO5 water?

We tested 21 contaminants in PO5 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 PO5?

PO5 (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 PO5?

With 1 contaminant above recommended levels in PO5, 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 PO5 water?

The tap-water tests we hold for PO5 do not include a PFAS result. Environment Agency monitoring found PFAS in 6 river and groundwater samples from 1 sites within 10 km of PO5, the highest being PFBA at 0.0016 µg/L about 9.8 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 coastal water near PO5?

The Environment Agency rated the Solent as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the coastal water is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by 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 coastal water, not of tap water in PO5, which is treated before it reaches homes.

Keep reading

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

River and groundwater readings near PO5

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

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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