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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in SS12, BasildonSafe to drink.

Supplied by Essex & Suffolk Water. 2,118 samples, 18 substances, latest on 19 December 2025. Everything is inside the legal limit, and nothing comes close to it.

See the filter we recommendSee everything that was tested

9.2 / 10

The tank is as full as the score.

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What's in a glass of SS12 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 40% of it. 15 of 16 substances used under a quarter of theirs.

0%25%50%75%limitLegal limitCadmium: 0.000018 mg/L, <1% of the 0.005 mg/L limitCadmium<1%Manganese: 0.00039 mg/L, <1% of the 0.05 mg/L limitManganese<1%Copper: 0.025 mg/L, 1% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper1%Chromium: 0.00067 mg/L, 1% of the 0.05 mg/L limitChromium1%Selenium: 0.00083 mg/L, 2% of the 0.04 mg/L limitSelenium2%Arsenic: 0.00024 mg/L, 2% of the 0.01 mg/L limitArsenic2%Nitrite: 0.013 mg/L, 3% of the 0.5 mg/L limitNitrite3%Bromate: 0.0005 mg/L, 5% of the 0.01 mg/L limitBromate5%Antimony: 0.00026 mg/L, 5% of the 0.005 mg/L limitAntimony5%Aluminium: 0.012 mg/L, 6% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium6%Colour: 1.3 mg/L Pt/Co, 7% of the 20 mg/L Pt/Co limitColour7%Turbidity: 0.33 NTU, 8% of the 4 NTU limitTurbidity8%Lead: 0.0012 mg/L, 12% of the 0.01 mg/L limitLead12%Iron: 0.036 mg/L, 18% of the 0.2 mg/L limitIron18%Nickel: 0.0036 mg/L, 18% of the 0.02 mg/L limitNickel18%Nitrate: 20 mg/L, 40% of the 50 mg/L limitNitrate40%
  1. Nitrate40%
  2. Iron18%
  3. Nickel18%
  4. Lead12%
  5. Turbidity8%
  6. Colour7%
  7. Aluminium6%
  8. Antimony5%
  9. Bromate5%
  10. Nitrite3%
  11. Arsenic2%
  12. Selenium2%
  13. Chromium1%
  14. Copper1%
  15. Manganese<1%
  16. Cadmium<1%
  • Conductivity 680 µS/cm
  • pH 7.4 pH
All 18 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Nitrite0.013 mg/L0.5 mg/L
3%
Colour1.3 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
7%
Turbidity0.33 NTU4 NTU
8%
Manganese0.00039 mg/L0.05 mg/L
<1%
Iron0.036 mg/L0.2 mg/L
18%
Conductivity680 µS/cmNo legal limit–
pH7.4 pHNo legal limit–
Nitrate20 mg/L50 mg/L
40%
Aluminium0.012 mg/L0.2 mg/L
6%
Nickel0.0036 mg/L0.02 mg/L
18%
Lead0.0012 mg/L0.01 mg/L
12%
Chromium0.00067 mg/L0.05 mg/L
1%
Antimony0.00026 mg/L0.005 mg/L
5%
Cadmium0.000018 mg/L0.005 mg/L
<1%
Bromate0.0005 mg/L0.01 mg/L
5%
Arsenic0.00024 mg/L0.01 mg/L
2%
Copper0.025 mg/L2 mg/L
1%
Selenium0.00083 mg/L0.04 mg/L
2%
Outside your tap

Your river is the Crouch (A129 - Wickford), rated moderate

The Environment Agency rated the Crouch (A129 - Wickford) as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by phosphate, insects and other small river life and ammonia. 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

SS12 in short

Tap water in SS12 (Basildon) is supplied by Essex & Suffolk Water in the Basildon Central zone and scores 9.2 out of 10, against an England and Wales average of 9.0. None of the 18 tested substances came close to a limit. The latest sample is from 19 December 2025.

  • Nitrate is the reading closest to its limit, at 40% of the 50 mg/L maximumIt passed with room to spare, and everything else tested sat further below its limit. See every reading
  • 6th cleanest of 8 areas tested in Basildon2 areas in Basildon scored lower. The best is SS13 on 9.4.
  • Scores higher than 0 of 7 neighbouring districtsWater here is typical for the immediate area, which usually means the same treatment works and the same supply zone.

Next door

CM129.3 out of 10 · 280 mg/LCM119.3 out of 10 · 310 mg/LSS119.3 out of 10SS139.4 out of 10SS159.2 out of 10SS149.4 out of 10SS169.2 out of 10

Questions about SS12 water

Is SS12 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, SS12 (Basildon) water scores 9.2/10, which is safe. 0 of 18 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Essex & Suffolk Water.

What contaminants are in SS12 water?

We tested 18 contaminants in SS12 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels.

Who supplies water in SS12?

SS12 (Basildon) is supplied by Essex & Suffolk Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.

Should I use a water filter in SS12?

SS12 water scored 9.2/10 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 SS12 water?

No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for SS12, 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 SS12?

The Environment Agency rated the Crouch (A129 - Wickford) as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by phosphate, insects and other small river life and ammonia. 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 SS12, 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 SS12

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
pH7.84 pHNone
Temperature12.1 °CNone
Conductivity1022 µS/cmNone
Ammonia0.25 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Nitrate6.4 mg/L50 mg/L
Nitrite0.21 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Phosphate0.62 mg/LNone
Dissolved Oxygen7.67 mg/LNone
Chromium0.0036 mg/L0.05 mg/L
Copper0.0038 mg/L2 mg/L
Zinc0.0098 mg/LNone
Lead0.0074 mg/L0.01 mg/L
Cadmium0.00016 mg/L0.005 mg/L

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We'll email you when water quality data changes for SS12.

Source: Essex & Suffolk 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