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England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in SO50, Eastleigh3 results are over the limit.Very hard.

Supplied by Southern Water. 20,326 samples, 26 substances, latest on 29 April 2026. Turbidity, Iron and Manganese 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. The specks are the minerals that make water hard.

What to do about it

Osmio PRO-III Ultimate Whole House

£499typical price

Removes turbidity, the result that stood out in SO50.

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Stop the limescale

At 276 mg/L a softener is the only thing that stops limescale. Filters do not soften water.

Get softener quotes for SO50
BWT E1 Single Lever

BWT E1 Single Lever

£250typical price

Removes turbidity, the result that stood out in SO50.

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What's in a glass of SO50 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.

Iron is over its legal limit, at 1975% of it.

0%25%50%75%limitLegal limitNitrite: 0.004 mg/L, <1% of the 0.5 mg/L limitNitrite<1%Copper: 0.0355 mg/L, 2% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper2%Selenium: 0.0008 mg/L, 2% of the 0.04 mg/L limitSelenium2%Chromium: 0.001 mg/L, 2% of the 0.05 mg/L limitChromium2%Boron: 0.0211 mg/L, 2% of the 1 mg/L limitBoron2%Cadmium: 0.00012 mg/L, 2% of the 0.005 mg/L limitCadmium2%Bromate: 0.00037 mg/L, 4% of the 0.01 mg/L limitBromate4%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%Ammonia: 0.025 mg/L, 5% of the 0.5 mg/L limitAmmonia5%Fluoride: 0.08 mg/L, 5% of the 1.5 mg/L limitFluoride5%Aluminium: 0.0154 mg/L, 8% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium8%Arsenic: 0.001 mg/L, 10% of the 0.01 mg/L limitArsenic10%Nickel: 0.0022 mg/L, 11% of the 0.02 mg/L limitNickel11%Colour: 3 mg/L Pt/Co, 15% of the 20 mg/L Pt/Co limitColour15%Trihalomethanes: 0.0206 mg/L, 21% of the 0.1 mg/L limitTrihalomethanes21%Lead: 0.00282 mg/L, 28% of the 0.01 mg/L limitLead28%Nitrate: 37.3 mg/L, 75% of the 50 mg/L limitNitrate75%Iron: 3.95 mg/L, 1975% of the 0.2 mg/L limitIron1975%Turbidity: 5.54 NTU, 139% of the 4 NTU limitTurbidity139%Manganese: 0.0626 mg/L, 125% of the 0.05 mg/L limitManganese125%
  1. Iron1975%
  2. Turbidity139%
  3. Manganese125%
  4. Nitrate75%
  5. Lead28%
  6. Trihalomethanes21%
  7. Colour15%
  8. Nickel11%
  9. Arsenic10%
  10. Aluminium8%
  11. Fluoride5%
  12. Ammonia5%
  13. Antimony4%
  14. Mercury4%
  15. Bromate4%
  16. Cadmium2%
  17. Boron2%
  18. Selenium2%
  19. Chromium2%
  20. Copper2%
  21. Nitrite<1%
  • Coliform Bacteria none found
  • E. coli none found
  • pH 7.7 pH
  • Conductivity 571 µS/cm
  • PFAS (total) 0.00072 µg/L
All 26 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Turbidity5.54 NTU4 NTU
139%
Iron3.95 mg/L0.2 mg/L
1975%
Manganese0.0626 mg/L0.05 mg/L
125%
Coliform Bacteria0 count/100mlMust be zeroNone found
E. coli0 count/100mlMust be zeroNone found
Colour3 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
15%
pH7.7 pHNo legal limit–
Nitrate37.3 mg/L50 mg/L
75%
Lead0.00282 mg/L0.01 mg/L
28%
Conductivity571 µS/cmNo legal limit–
Aluminium0.0154 mg/L0.2 mg/L
8%
Antimony0.0002 mg/L0.005 mg/L
4%
Selenium0.0008 mg/L0.04 mg/L
2%
Trihalomethanes0.0206 mg/L0.1 mg/L
21%
Nitrite0.004 mg/L0.5 mg/L
<1%
Ammonia0.025 mg/L0.5 mg/L
5%
Copper0.0355 mg/L2 mg/L
2%
Arsenic0.001 mg/L0.01 mg/L
10%
Cadmium0.00012 mg/L0.005 mg/L
2%
Chromium0.001 mg/L0.05 mg/L
2%
Nickel0.0022 mg/L0.02 mg/L
11%
Bromate0.00037 mg/L0.01 mg/L
4%
Boron0.0211 mg/L1 mg/L
2%
Fluoride0.08 mg/L1.5 mg/L
5%
Mercury0.00004 mg/L0.001 mg/L
4%
PFAS (total)0.00072 µg/LNo legal limit–

276mg of limescale minerals in every litre, typical for the SO area. SO50 has no reading of its own.

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 Itchen, rated good

The Environment Agency rated the Itchen as good for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is only slightly changed from its natural state. 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

118

forever-chemical detections in nearby rivers and groundwater

At 3 sites. The highest was PFOS at 0.0059 µg/L, at RSN1377 West Common Stream at Imber Way, 7.3 km away, in October 2025. These are river and borehole samples, not tests of your tap water.

Every PFAS sample around Southampton · Which filters remove PFAS · PFAS explained

SO50 in short

Tap water in SO50 (Eastleigh) is supplied by Southern Water in the Eastleigh Central zone and scores 8.4 out of 10, against an England and Wales average of 9.0. 3 of 26 tested substances were close to or over a limit. The latest sample is from 29 April 2026.

  • Iron was measured at 3.95 mg/L, 20 times the UK limitIt is the furthest over its limit of the 3 substances flagged here. See the full results
  • Very hard water at 276 mg/LThe threshold for very hard is 250 mg/L. Expect visible limescale on taps and in kettles across the SO postcode area. How hardness is measured
  • 2nd cleanest of 3 areas tested in SouthamptonSquarely mid-table for Southampton, between SO30 on 9.3 and SO53 on 8.3. Every area in Southampton

Next door

SO538.3 out of 10 · 276 mg/LSO309.3 out of 10 · 276 mg/LSO189.4 out of 10 · 276 mg/L

Questions about SO50 water

Is SO50 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, SO50 (Eastleigh) water scores 8.4/10, which is safe. 3 of 26 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Southern Water.

What contaminants are in SO50 water?

We tested 26 contaminants in SO50 water. 3 were flagged, including Turbidity, Iron, Manganese. PFAS (forever chemicals) were also detected at 0.00072 µg/L in local drinking water tests.

Who supplies water in SO50?

SO50 (Eastleigh) is supplied by Southern Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.

Is SO50 water hard or soft?

No hardness reading has been published for SO50 itself. Across the SO postcode area the typical value is 276 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 SO50?

With 3 contaminants above recommended levels in SO50, 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 SO50 water?

Yes, PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) have been detected in SO50 at 0.00072 µg/L from drinking monitoring. The UK currently has no legal limit for PFAS in drinking water. Reverse osmosis and activated carbon filters can reduce PFAS levels.

How clean is the river near SO50?

The Environment Agency rated the Itchen as good for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is only slightly changed from its natural state. 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 SO50, which is treated before it reaches homes.

Keep reading

PFAS explainedHow to test your waterBest water filtersFilter shower headsWater testing kitsAll of SouthamptonUK water rankingsWater hardness checkerWater hardness map

River and groundwater readings near SO50

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
pH8.32 pHNone
Temperature15.1 °CNone
Conductivity604 µS/cmNone
Nitrate7.9 mg/L50 mg/L
Nitrite0.0096 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Phosphate0.045 mg/LNone
Dissolved Oxygen10.6 mg/LNone
Zinc0.0013 mg/LNone
Nickel0.00077 mg/L0.02 mg/L
Turbidity1.3 NTU4 NTU
Copper0.00088 mg/L2 mg/L
Ammonia0.052 mg/L0.5 mg/L

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We'll email you when water quality data changes for SO50.

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