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England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in ST18, StaffordSafe to drink.

Supplied by Severn Trent. 952 samples, 22 substances, latest on 21 December 2025. Everything is inside the legal limit, and nothing comes close to it.

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

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What's in a glass of ST18 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 65% of it. 17 of 19 substances used under a quarter of theirs.

0%25%50%75%limitLegal limitNitrite: 0.003 mg/L, <1% of the 0.5 mg/L limitNitrite<1%Cadmium: 0.00003 mg/L, <1% of the 0.005 mg/L limitCadmium<1%Chromium: 0.00042 mg/L, <1% of the 0.05 mg/L limitChromium<1%Selenium: 0.00039 mg/L, <1% of the 0.04 mg/L limitSelenium<1%Manganese: 0.00073 mg/L, 1% of the 0.05 mg/L limitManganese1%Copper: 0.0322 mg/L, 2% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper2%Lead: 0.00017 mg/L, 2% of the 0.01 mg/L limitLead2%Mercury: 0.000022 mg/L, 2% of the 0.001 mg/L limitMercury2%Turbidity: 0.12 NTU, 3% of the 4 NTU limitTurbidity3%Boron: 0.032 mg/L, 3% of the 1 mg/L limitBoron3%Antimony: 0.000167 mg/L, 3% of the 0.005 mg/L limitAntimony3%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%Nickel: 0.001 mg/L, 5% of the 0.02 mg/L limitNickel5%Fluoride: 0.09 mg/L, 6% of the 1.5 mg/L limitFluoride6%Trihalomethanes: 0.00984 mg/L, 10% of the 0.1 mg/L limitTrihalomethanes10%Aluminium: 0.021 mg/L, 11% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium11%Arsenic: 0.00345 mg/L, 35% of the 0.01 mg/L limitArsenic35%Nitrate: 32.5 mg/L, 65% of the 50 mg/L limitNitrate65%
  1. Nitrate65%
  2. Arsenic35%
  3. Aluminium11%
  4. Trihalomethanes10%
  5. Fluoride6%
  6. Nickel5%
  7. Colour4%
  8. Iron3%
  9. Antimony3%
  10. Boron3%
  11. Turbidity3%
  12. Mercury2%
  13. Lead2%
  14. Copper2%
  15. Manganese1%
  16. Selenium<1%
  17. Chromium<1%
  18. Nitrite<1%
  19. Cadmium<1%
  • pH 7.48 pH
  • Conductivity 432 µS/cm
  • Phosphate 0.055 mg/L
All 22 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Boron0.032 mg/L1 mg/L
3%
pH7.48 pHNo legal limit–
Nitrate32.5 mg/L50 mg/L
65%
Nitrite0.003 mg/L0.5 mg/L
<1%
Trihalomethanes0.00984 mg/L0.1 mg/L
10%
Aluminium0.021 mg/L0.2 mg/L
11%
Iron0.007 mg/L0.2 mg/L
3%
Colour0.8 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
4%
Turbidity0.12 NTU4 NTU
3%
Manganese0.00073 mg/L0.05 mg/L
1%
Copper0.0322 mg/L2 mg/L
2%
Fluoride0.09 mg/L1.5 mg/L
6%
Arsenic0.00345 mg/L0.01 mg/L
35%
Cadmium0.00003 mg/L0.005 mg/L
<1%
Chromium0.00042 mg/L0.05 mg/L
<1%
Mercury0.000022 mg/L0.001 mg/L
2%
Nickel0.001 mg/L0.02 mg/L
5%
Lead0.00017 mg/L0.01 mg/L
2%
Antimony0.000167 mg/L0.005 mg/L
3%
Selenium0.00039 mg/L0.04 mg/L
<1%
Conductivity432 µS/cmNo legal limit–
Phosphate0.055 mg/LNo legal limit–
Outside your tap

Your river is the Sow - Doxey Bk to R Penk, rated bad

The Environment Agency rated the Sow - Doxey Bk to R Penk as bad for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is severely damaged, with most of the expected wildlife missing. It is held back by fish, water plants and algae and specific pollutants. 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. Its ecological rating has dropped since the previous assessment.

None of this is a test of your tap water. Environment Agency record · River health across England

ST18 in short

Tap water in ST18 (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. None of the 22 tested substances came close to a limit. The latest sample is from 21 December 2025.

  • Nitrate is the reading closest to its limit, at 65% 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 7 areas tested in StaffordOnly 2 areas in Stafford scored higher. The best is ST12 on 9.
  • Scores higher than 4 of 6 neighbouring districtsWater here is typical for the immediate area, which usually means the same treatment works and the same supply zone.

Next door

ST218.3 out of 10ST129.0 out of 10ST158.8 out of 10ST168.9 out of 10ST179.0 out of 10ST208.3 out of 10

Questions about ST18 water

Is ST18 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, ST18 (Stafford) water scores 9/10, which is safe. 0 of 22 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Severn Trent.

What contaminants are in ST18 water?

We tested 22 contaminants in ST18 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels.

Who supplies water in ST18?

ST18 (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 ST18?

ST18 water scored 9/10 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 ST18 water?

No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for ST18, 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 ST18?

The Environment Agency rated the Sow - Doxey Bk to R Penk as bad for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is severely damaged, with most of the expected wildlife missing. It is held back by fish, water plants and algae and specific pollutants. 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. Its ecological rating has dropped since the previous assessment. This is a rating of the river, not of tap water in ST18, 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 ST18

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
Manganese0.059 mg/L0.05 mg/L
pH7.95 pHNone
Temperature15.4 °CNone
Conductivity826 µS/cmNone
Ammonia0.033 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Nitrate7.7 mg/L50 mg/L
Nitrite0.032 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Phosphate0.15 mg/LNone
Dissolved Oxygen9.43 mg/LNone
Lead0.00016 mg/L0.01 mg/L
Cadmium0.000033 mg/L0.005 mg/L
Zinc0.0065 mg/LNone
Nickel0.002 mg/L0.02 mg/L
Arsenic0.0023 mg/L0.01 mg/L
Turbidity2 NTU4 NTU
Copper0.0034 mg/L2 mg/L
Iron0.063 mg/L0.2 mg/L
Boron0.12 mg/L1 mg/L

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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