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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in PO8, East HampshireSafe to drink.

Supplied by Southern Water. 11,821 samples, 21 substances, latest on 30 December 2024. Everything is inside the legal limit, and nothing comes close to it.

See the filter we recommendSee everything that was tested

8.8 / 10

The tank is as full as the score.

What to do about it

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What's in a glass of PO8 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 68% 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%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%Lead: 0.0005 mg/L, 5% of the 0.01 mg/L limitLead5%Manganese: 0.0025 mg/L, 5% of the 0.05 mg/L limitManganese5%Fluoride: 0.095 mg/L, 6% of the 1.5 mg/L limitFluoride6%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%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: 0.0465 mg/L, 46% of the 0.1 mg/L limitTrihalomethanes46%Nitrate: 33.8 mg/L, 68% of the 50 mg/L limitNitrate68%
  1. Nitrate68%
  2. Trihalomethanes46%
  3. Boron14%
  4. Arsenic10%
  5. Colour10%
  6. Copper9%
  7. Bromate8%
  8. Turbidity7%
  9. Iron7%
  10. Nickel7%
  11. Fluoride6%
  12. Lead5%
  13. Manganese5%
  14. Chromium5%
  15. Cadmium4%
  16. Aluminium4%
  17. Antimony4%
  18. Mercury4%
  19. Nitrite2%
  20. Selenium2%
  • Conductivity 562 µS/cm
All 21 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Turbidity0.28 NTU4 NTU
7%
Conductivity562 µS/cmNo legal limit–
Colour1.93 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
10%
Fluoride0.095 mg/L1.5 mg/L
6%
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%
Aluminium0.0081 mg/L0.2 mg/L
4%
Iron0.0138 mg/L0.2 mg/L
7%
Manganese0.0025 mg/L0.05 mg/L
5%
Lead0.0005 mg/L0.01 mg/L
5%
Nickel0.0013 mg/L0.02 mg/L
7%
Copper0.172 mg/L2 mg/L
9%
Nitrate33.8 mg/L50 mg/L
68%
Trihalomethanes0.0465 mg/L0.1 mg/L
46%
Boron0.14 mg/L1 mg/L
14%
Chromium0.0023 mg/L0.05 mg/L
5%
Cadmium0.00022 mg/L0.005 mg/L
4%
Mercury0.00004 mg/L0.001 mg/L
4%
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

11

forever-chemical detections in nearby rivers and groundwater

At 1 site. The highest was PFHxA at 0.04 µg/L, at Hermitage Stream at B2150 Havant - New Road, 6.5 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

PO8 in short

Tap water in PO8 (East Hampshire) is supplied by Southern Water in the East Hampshire Central zone and scores 8.8 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 30 December 2024.

  • Nitrate is the reading closest to its limit, at 68% of the 50 mg/L maximumIt passed with room to spare, and everything else tested sat further below its limit. See every reading
  • 5th cleanest of 7 areas tested in East Hampshire2 areas in East Hampshire scored lower. The best is GU33 on 9.3.
  • PFAS found at 1 monitoring site within 10 kmThose are river and groundwater samples, not tap water. The highest was PFHxA about 6.5 km away. What was measured

Next door

GU309.2 out of 10 · 154 mg/LGU339.3 out of 10 · 154 mg/LGU269.2 out of 10 · 88 mg/LGU329.0 out of 10 · 154 mg/LGU347.0 out of 10 · 154 mg/LGU358.0 out of 10 · 154 mg/LPO78.1 out of 10

Questions about PO8 water

Is PO8 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, PO8 (East Hampshire) water scores 8.8/10, which is safe. 0 of 21 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Southern Water.

What contaminants are in PO8 water?

We tested 21 contaminants in PO8 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 PO8?

PO8 (East Hampshire) 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 PO8?

PO8 water scored 8.8/10 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 PO8 water?

The tap-water tests we hold for PO8 do not include a PFAS result. Environment Agency monitoring found PFAS in 11 river and groundwater samples from 1 sites within 10 km of PO8, the highest being PFHxA at 0.04 µg/L about 6.5 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 PO8?

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 PO8, 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 PO8

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
Iron0.363 mg/L0.2 mg/L
Aluminium0.286 mg/L0.2 mg/L
Lead0.0109 mg/L0.01 mg/L
pH7.24 pHNone
Temperature12.9 °CNone
Conductivity729 µS/cmNone
Nitrate5 mg/L50 mg/L
Phosphate0.021 mg/LNone
Dissolved Oxygen9.6 mg/LNone
Nitrite0.0101 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Chromium0.000979 mg/L0.05 mg/L
Manganese0.0174 mg/L0.05 mg/L
Copper0.00357 mg/L2 mg/L
Zinc0.00833 mg/LNone
Nickel0.00349 mg/L0.02 mg/L
Cadmium0.00021 mg/L0.005 mg/L
Arsenic0.0013 mg/L0.01 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