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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in SG14, East HertfordshireSafe to drink.Very hard.

Supplied by Affinity Water. 1,028 samples, 24 substances, latest on 19 December 2025. Everything is inside the legal limit, and nothing comes close to it.

Get softener quotes for SG14See everything that was tested

9.4 / 10

The tank is as full as the score. The specks are the minerals that make water hard.

What to do about it

Hard water: compare softener quotes

At 316 mg/L a softener is the only thing that stops limescale. Filters do not soften water.

It pays for itself in most homes at this hardness, through a boiler that stays efficient and appliances that last.

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What's in a glass of SG14 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 61% of it. 20 of 21 substances used under a quarter of theirs.

0%25%50%75%limitLegal limitCopper: 0.003 mg/L, <1% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper<1%Manganese: 0.000363 mg/L, <1% of the 0.05 mg/L limitManganese<1%Chromium: 0.000383 mg/L, <1% of the 0.05 mg/L limitChromium<1%Antimony: 0.000043 mg/L, <1% of the 0.005 mg/L limitAntimony<1%Aluminium: 0.00199 mg/L, <1% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium<1%Cadmium: 0.000054 mg/L, 1% of the 0.005 mg/L limitCadmium1%Selenium: 0.00046 mg/L, 1% of the 0.04 mg/L limitSelenium1%Nitrite: 0.01 mg/L, 2% of the 0.5 mg/L limitNitrite2%Arsenic: 0.000218 mg/L, 2% of the 0.01 mg/L limitArsenic2%Mercury: 0.000023 mg/L, 2% of the 0.001 mg/L limitMercury2%Turbidity: 0.1 NTU, 3% of the 4 NTU limitTurbidity3%Nickel: 0.000611 mg/L, 3% of the 0.02 mg/L limitNickel3%Iron: 0.00897 mg/L, 4% of the 0.2 mg/L limitIron4%Boron: 0.046 mg/L, 5% of the 1 mg/L limitBoron5%Trihalomethanes: 0.00555 mg/L, 6% of the 0.1 mg/L limitTrihalomethanes6%Lead: 0.000673 mg/L, 7% of the 0.01 mg/L limitLead7%Fluoride: 0.149 mg/L, 10% of the 1.5 mg/L limitFluoride10%Colour: 2 mg/L Pt/Co, 10% of the 20 mg/L Pt/Co limitColour10%Ammonia: 0.06 mg/L, 12% of the 0.5 mg/L limitAmmonia12%Bromate: 0.00147 mg/L, 15% of the 0.01 mg/L limitBromate15%Nitrate: 30.3 mg/L, 61% of the 50 mg/L limitNitrate61%
  1. Nitrate61%
  2. Bromate15%
  3. Ammonia12%
  4. Colour10%
  5. Fluoride10%
  6. Lead7%
  7. Trihalomethanes6%
  8. Boron5%
  9. Iron4%
  10. Nickel3%
  11. Turbidity3%
  12. Mercury2%
  13. Arsenic2%
  14. Nitrite2%
  15. Selenium1%
  16. Cadmium1%
  17. Aluminium<1%
  18. Antimony<1%
  19. Chromium<1%
  20. Manganese<1%
  21. Copper<1%
  • E. coli none found
  • Coliform Bacteria none found
  • Conductivity 544 µS/cm
All 24 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Chromium0.000383 mg/L0.05 mg/L
<1%
E. coli0 count/100mlMust be zeroNone found
Coliform Bacteria0 count/100mlMust be zeroNone found
Nitrate30.3 mg/L50 mg/L
61%
Conductivity544 µS/cmNo legal limit–
Selenium0.00046 mg/L0.04 mg/L
1%
Aluminium0.00199 mg/L0.2 mg/L
<1%
Iron0.00897 mg/L0.2 mg/L
4%
Colour2 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
10%
Ammonia0.06 mg/L0.5 mg/L
12%
Copper0.003 mg/L2 mg/L
<1%
Arsenic0.000218 mg/L0.01 mg/L
2%
Manganese0.000363 mg/L0.05 mg/L
<1%
Mercury0.000023 mg/L0.001 mg/L
2%
Turbidity0.1 NTU4 NTU
3%
Fluoride0.149 mg/L1.5 mg/L
10%
Antimony0.000043 mg/L0.005 mg/L
<1%
Nitrite0.01 mg/L0.5 mg/L
2%
Bromate0.00147 mg/L0.01 mg/L
15%
Boron0.046 mg/L1 mg/L
5%
Cadmium0.000054 mg/L0.005 mg/L
1%
Trihalomethanes0.00555 mg/L0.1 mg/L
6%
Nickel0.000611 mg/L0.02 mg/L
3%
Lead0.000673 mg/L0.01 mg/L
7%

316mg of limescale minerals in every litre

This is the water that furs up kettles

Very hard on the UK scale. It is fine to drink. It is hard on boilers, showers, skin and anything that heats water, and a jug or tap filter will not change that.

Soft400 mg/L

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Outside your tap

Your river is the Beane (from confluence with Stevenage Brook to Lee), rated poor

The Environment Agency rated the Beane (from confluence with Stevenage Brook to Lee) as poor for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is badly affected, with much of the expected wildlife missing. It is held back by fish and water plants and algae. 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

SG14 in short

Tap water in SG14 (East Hertfordshire) is supplied by Affinity Water in the East Hertfordshire Central zone and scores 9.4 out of 10, against an England and Wales average of 9.0. None of the 24 tested substances came close to a limit. The latest sample is from 19 December 2025.

  • Among the hardest water in the country at 316 mg/LVery hard starts at 250 mg/L. At this level kettles scale up within weeks and a softener is a normal purchase in SG14. How hardness is measured
  • Nitrate is the reading closest to its limit, at 61% of the 50 mg/L maximumIt passed with room to spare, and everything else tested sat further below its limit. See every reading
  • 3rd cleanest of 8 areas tested in East HertfordshireOnly 2 areas in East Hertfordshire scored higher. The best is CM21 on 9.4.

Next door

CM239.0 out of 10 · 345 mg/LCM219.4 out of 10 · 339 mg/LSG99.4 out of 10 · 374 mg/LSG129.1 out of 10 · 389 mg/LSG109.0 out of 10 · 329 mg/LSG139.2 out of 10 · 295 mg/LSG119.4 out of 10 · 330 mg/L

Questions about SG14 water

Is SG14 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, SG14 (East Hertfordshire) water scores 9.4/10, which is safe. 0 of 24 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Affinity Water.

What contaminants are in SG14 water?

We tested 24 contaminants in SG14 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels.

Who supplies water in SG14?

SG14 (East Hertfordshire) is supplied by Affinity Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.

Is SG14 water hard or soft?

Water in SG14 (East Hertfordshire) has a hardness of 316 mg/L CaCO3, which is classified as very hard. Hard water can cause limescale buildup. A water softener or filter jug may help.

Should I use a water filter in SG14?

SG14 water scored 9.4/10 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 SG14 water?

No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for SG14, 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 SG14?

The Environment Agency rated the Beane (from confluence with Stevenage Brook to Lee) as poor for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is badly affected, with much of the expected wildlife missing. It is held back by fish and water plants and algae. 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 SG14, 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 SG14

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
pH7.93 pHNone
Temperature13.7 °CNone
Conductivity824 µS/cmNone
Nitrate7.6 mg/L50 mg/L
Nitrite0.0065 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Phosphate0.13 mg/LNone
Dissolved Oxygen10 mg/LNone
Ammonia0.036 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Zinc0.005 mg/LNone
Nickel0.0037 mg/L0.02 mg/L
Turbidity2.5 NTU4 NTU
Copper0.002 mg/L2 mg/L
Boron0.11 mg/L1 mg/L
PFAS (total)0.0027 µg/LNone

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Source: Affinity 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