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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in ST12, StaffordSafe to drink.

Supplied by Severn Trent. 173 samples, 20 substances, latest on 14 December 2025. Everything is inside the legal limit. One result, nitrate, sits close to the line.

See the filter we recommendSee everything that was tested

9.0 / 10

The tank is as full as the score.

What to do about it

Waterdrop G3P600 Reverse Osmosis

Waterdrop G3P600 Reverse Osmosis

£550typical price

Removes nitrate, the result that stood out in ST12.

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Osmio PRO-III Ultimate Whole House

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Removes nitrate, the result that stood out in ST12.

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ZeroWater 12-Cup Ready-Pour

ZeroWater 12-Cup Ready-Pour

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Removes nitrate, the result that stood out in ST12.

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What's in a glass of ST12 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 80% of it. 16 of 17 substances used under a quarter of theirs.

0%25%50%75%limitLegal limitCadmium: 0.00002 mg/L, <1% of the 0.005 mg/L limitCadmium<1%Selenium: 0.00024 mg/L, <1% of the 0.04 mg/L limitSelenium<1%Nitrite: 0.003 mg/L, <1% of the 0.5 mg/L limitNitrite<1%Chromium: 0.00042 mg/L, <1% of the 0.05 mg/L limitChromium<1%Antimony: 0.000059 mg/L, 1% of the 0.005 mg/L limitAntimony1%Manganese: 0.00073 mg/L, 1% of the 0.05 mg/L limitManganese1%Turbidity: 0.12 NTU, 3% of the 4 NTU limitTurbidity3%Iron: 0.007 mg/L, 3% of the 0.2 mg/L limitIron3%Colour: 0.8 mg/L Pt/Co, 4% of the 20 mg/L Pt/Co limitColour4%Fluoride: 0.06 mg/L, 4% of the 1.5 mg/L limitFluoride4%Nickel: 0.001 mg/L, 5% of the 0.02 mg/L limitNickel5%Lead: 0.00053 mg/L, 5% of the 0.01 mg/L limitLead5%Trihalomethanes: 0.0058 mg/L, 6% of the 0.1 mg/L limitTrihalomethanes6%Aluminium: 0.021 mg/L, 11% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium11%Arsenic: 0.0012 mg/L, 12% of the 0.01 mg/L limitArsenic12%Copper: 0.356 mg/L, 18% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper18%Nitrate: 40 mg/L, 80% of the 50 mg/L limitNitrate80%
  1. Nitrate80%
  2. Copper18%
  3. Arsenic12%
  4. Aluminium11%
  5. Trihalomethanes6%
  6. Lead5%
  7. Nickel5%
  8. Colour4%
  9. Fluoride4%
  10. Iron3%
  11. Turbidity3%
  12. Manganese1%
  13. Antimony1%
  14. Chromium<1%
  15. Selenium<1%
  16. Nitrite<1%
  17. Cadmium<1%
  • pH 7.44 pH
  • Conductivity 465 µS/cm
  • Phosphate 0.757 mg/L
All 20 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Nitrate40 mg/L50 mg/L
80%
Turbidity0.12 NTU4 NTU
3%
pH7.44 pHNo legal limit–
Colour0.8 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
4%
Conductivity465 µS/cmNo legal limit–
Iron0.007 mg/L0.2 mg/L
3%
Manganese0.00073 mg/L0.05 mg/L
1%
Aluminium0.021 mg/L0.2 mg/L
11%
Copper0.356 mg/L2 mg/L
18%
Fluoride0.06 mg/L1.5 mg/L
4%
Arsenic0.0012 mg/L0.01 mg/L
12%
Cadmium0.00002 mg/L0.005 mg/L
<1%
Chromium0.00042 mg/L0.05 mg/L
<1%
Nickel0.001 mg/L0.02 mg/L
5%
Lead0.00053 mg/L0.01 mg/L
5%
Antimony0.000059 mg/L0.005 mg/L
1%
Selenium0.00024 mg/L0.04 mg/L
<1%
Nitrite0.003 mg/L0.5 mg/L
<1%
Trihalomethanes0.0058 mg/L0.1 mg/L
6%
Phosphate0.757 mg/LNo legal limit–
Outside your tap

Your river is the Trent from Fowlea Brook to Tittensor, rated moderate

The Environment Agency rated the Trent from Fowlea Brook to Tittensor 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, fish and insects and other small river life. 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

86

forever-chemical detections in nearby rivers and groundwater

At 7 sites. The highest was PFOA at 0.028 µg/L, at RSN0342 Lyme Brook, 6.1 km away, in February 2024. These are river and borehole samples, not tests of your tap water.

Every PFAS sample around Stoke-on-Trent · Which filters remove PFAS · PFAS explained

ST12 in short

Tap water in ST12 (Stafford) is supplied by Severn Trent in the Stafford Central zone and scores 9.0 out of 10, against an England and Wales average of 9.0. 1 of 20 tested substances was close to or over a limit. The latest sample is from 14 December 2025.

  • Nitrate is within its legal limit but flagged, at 80% of the 50 mg/L maximumAnything over three quarters of a limit is flagged here as worth watching. It has not gone over. See every reading
  • The cleanest tap water of the 7 areas tested in StaffordST12 scores 9 out of 10, ahead of ST17 in second place on 9.
  • PFAS found at 7 monitoring sites within 10 kmThose are river and groundwater samples, not tap water. The highest was PFOA about 6.1 km away. What was measured

Next door

ST218.3 out of 10ST208.3 out of 10ST158.8 out of 10ST168.9 out of 10ST179.0 out of 10ST189.0 out of 10ST39.4 out of 10ST49.4 out of 10

Questions about ST12 water

Is ST12 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, ST12 (Stafford) water scores 9/10, which is safe. 1 of 20 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Severn Trent.

What contaminants are in ST12 water?

We tested 20 contaminants in ST12 water. 1 were flagged, including Nitrate. 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 ST12?

ST12 (Stafford) is supplied by Severn Trent. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.

Should I use a water filter in ST12?

With 1 contaminant above recommended levels in ST12, 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 ST12 water?

The tap-water tests we hold for ST12 do not include a PFAS result. Environment Agency monitoring found PFAS in 86 river and groundwater samples from 7 sites within 10 km of ST12, the highest being PFOA at 0.028 µg/L about 6.1 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 ST12?

The Environment Agency rated the Trent from Fowlea Brook to Tittensor 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, fish and insects and other small river life. 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 ST12, which is treated before it reaches homes.

Keep reading

PFAS explainedNitrate levelsHow to test your waterBest water filtersFilter shower headsWater testing kitsUK water rankingsWater hardness checkerWater hardness map

River and groundwater readings near ST12

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
pH8.02 pHNone
Temperature15.2 °CNone
Conductivity655 µS/cmNone
Ammonia0.12 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Nitrate1.6 mg/L50 mg/L
Nitrite0.022 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Phosphate0.2 mg/LNone
Dissolved Oxygen9.3 mg/LNone
Iron0.054 mg/L0.2 mg/L

Get alerts for your area

We'll email you when water quality data changes for ST12.

Source: Severn Trent 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