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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in PO6, PortsmouthSafe to drink.

Supplied by Portsmouth Water. 14,463 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

8.5 / 10

The tank is as full as the score.

What to do about it

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What's in a glass of PO6 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.

Nickel came closest to a limit, at 49% of it. 17 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%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%Aluminium: 0.0081 mg/L, 4% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium4%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%Fluoride: 0.073 mg/L, 5% of the 1.5 mg/L limitFluoride5%Manganese: 0.0025 mg/L, 5% of the 0.05 mg/L limitManganese5%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: 0.0201 mg/L, 20% of the 0.1 mg/L limitTrihalomethanes20%Nitrate: 22.5 mg/L, 45% of the 50 mg/L limitNitrate45%Nickel: 0.0098 mg/L, 49% of the 0.02 mg/L limitNickel49%Lead: 0.0049 mg/L, 49% of the 0.01 mg/L limitLead49%
  1. Nickel49%
  2. Lead49%
  3. Nitrate45%
  4. Trihalomethanes20%
  5. Boron14%
  6. Arsenic10%
  7. Colour10%
  8. Copper9%
  9. Bromate8%
  10. Turbidity7%
  11. Iron7%
  12. Manganese5%
  13. Fluoride5%
  14. Chromium5%
  15. Cadmium4%
  16. Aluminium4%
  17. Antimony4%
  18. Mercury4%
  19. Nitrite2%
  20. Selenium2%
  • Conductivity 580 µS/cm
All 21 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Turbidity0.28 NTU4 NTU
7%
Conductivity580 µS/cmNo legal limit–
Nitrite0.011 mg/L0.5 mg/L
2%
Nitrate22.5 mg/L50 mg/L
45%
Colour1.93 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
10%
Aluminium0.0081 mg/L0.2 mg/L
4%
Iron0.0138 mg/L0.2 mg/L
7%
Manganese0.0025 mg/L0.05 mg/L
5%
Trihalomethanes0.0201 mg/L0.1 mg/L
20%
Antimony0.0002 mg/L0.005 mg/L
4%
Selenium0.0008 mg/L0.04 mg/L
2%
Fluoride0.073 mg/L1.5 mg/L
5%
Cadmium0.00022 mg/L0.005 mg/L
4%
Chromium0.0023 mg/L0.05 mg/L
5%
Mercury0.00004 mg/L0.001 mg/L
4%
Boron0.14 mg/L1 mg/L
14%
Arsenic0.001 mg/L0.01 mg/L
10%
Bromate0.0008 mg/L0.01 mg/L
8%
Copper0.172 mg/L2 mg/L
9%
Nickel0.0098 mg/L0.02 mg/L
49%
Lead0.0049 mg/L0.01 mg/L
49%
Outside your tap

Your river is the Potwell Trib, rated moderate

The Environment Agency rated the Potwell Trib as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by fish. 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, 5.6 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

PO6 in short

Tap water in PO6 (Portsmouth) is supplied by Portsmouth Water in the Portsmouth Central zone and scores 8.5 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.

  • Nickel is the reading closest to its limit, at 49% of the 0.02 mg/L maximumIt passed with room to spare, and everything else tested sat further below its limit. See every reading
  • 2nd cleanest of 6 areas tested in PortsmouthOnly 1 area in Portsmouth scored higher. The best is PO2 on 8.7. Every area in Portsmouth
  • 0.5 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

PO58.4 out of 10PO28.7 out of 10PO48.4 out of 10PO18.4 out of 10PO38.4 out of 10PO78.1 out of 10

Questions about PO6 water

Is PO6 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, PO6 (Portsmouth) water scores 8.5/10, which is safe. 0 of 21 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Portsmouth Water.

What contaminants are in PO6 water?

We tested 21 contaminants in PO6 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 PO6?

PO6 (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 PO6?

PO6 water scored 8.5/10 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 PO6 water?

The tap-water tests we hold for PO6 do not include a PFAS result. Environment Agency monitoring found PFAS in 43 river and groundwater samples from 3 sites within 10 km of PO6, the highest being PFHxA at 0.04 µg/L about 5.6 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 PO6?

The Environment Agency rated the Potwell Trib as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by fish. 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 PO6, 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 PO6

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
Lead0.0109 mg/L0.01 mg/L
Manganese0.055 mg/L0.05 mg/L
Iron0.75 mg/L0.2 mg/L
pH7.98 pHNone
Temperature13.6 °CNone
Conductivity569 µS/cmNone
Nitrate2.4 mg/L50 mg/L
Phosphate0.066 mg/LNone
Dissolved Oxygen9.04 mg/LNone
Ammonia0.051 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Nitrite0.032 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Cadmium0.00021 mg/L0.005 mg/L
Chromium0.0018 mg/L0.05 mg/L
Zinc0.0403 mg/LNone
Aluminium0.02 mg/L0.2 mg/L
Copper0.0088 mg/L2 mg/L
Nickel0.005 mg/L0.02 mg/L
Arsenic0.0013 mg/L0.01 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