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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in ST3, Stoke-on-TrentSafe to drink.

Supplied by Severn Trent. 748 samples, 20 substances, latest on 30 December 2025. Everything is inside the legal limit, and nothing comes close to it.

See the filter we recommendSee everything that was tested

9.4 / 10

The tank is as full as the score.

What to do about it

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What's in a glass of ST3 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. 16 of 17 substances used under a quarter of theirs.

0%25%50%75%limitLegal limitCopper: 0.0017 mg/L, <1% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper<1%Nitrite: 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%Selenium: 0.00026 mg/L, <1% of the 0.04 mg/L limitSelenium<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%Lead: 0.00014 mg/L, 1% of the 0.01 mg/L limitLead1%Manganese: 0.00073 mg/L, 1% of the 0.05 mg/L limitManganese1%Fluoride: 0.04 mg/L, 3% of the 1.5 mg/L limitFluoride3%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%Trihalomethanes: 0.0049 mg/L, 5% of the 0.1 mg/L limitTrihalomethanes5%Nickel: 0.001 mg/L, 5% of the 0.02 mg/L limitNickel5%Arsenic: 0.00062 mg/L, 6% of the 0.01 mg/L limitArsenic6%Aluminium: 0.021 mg/L, 11% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium11%Nitrate: 30.7 mg/L, 61% of the 50 mg/L limitNitrate61%
  1. Nitrate61%
  2. Aluminium11%
  3. Arsenic6%
  4. Nickel5%
  5. Trihalomethanes5%
  6. Colour4%
  7. Iron3%
  8. Turbidity3%
  9. Fluoride3%
  10. Manganese1%
  11. Lead1%
  12. Antimony1%
  13. Chromium<1%
  14. Selenium<1%
  15. Nitrite<1%
  16. Cadmium<1%
  17. Copper<1%
  • pH 7.48 pH
  • Conductivity 461 µS/cm
  • Phosphate 1.08 mg/L
All 20 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Turbidity0.12 NTU4 NTU
3%
pH7.48 pHNo legal limit–
Colour0.8 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
4%
Conductivity461 µS/cmNo legal limit–
Nitrate30.7 mg/L50 mg/L
61%
Nitrite0.003 mg/L0.5 mg/L
<1%
Aluminium0.021 mg/L0.2 mg/L
11%
Trihalomethanes0.0049 mg/L0.1 mg/L
5%
Iron0.007 mg/L0.2 mg/L
3%
Manganese0.00073 mg/L0.05 mg/L
1%
Copper0.0017 mg/L2 mg/L
<1%
Fluoride0.04 mg/L1.5 mg/L
3%
Arsenic0.00062 mg/L0.01 mg/L
6%
Cadmium0.00003 mg/L0.005 mg/L
<1%
Chromium0.00042 mg/L0.05 mg/L
<1%
Nickel0.001 mg/L0.02 mg/L
5%
Lead0.00014 mg/L0.01 mg/L
1%
Antimony0.000059 mg/L0.005 mg/L
1%
Selenium0.00026 mg/L0.04 mg/L
<1%
Phosphate1.08 mg/LNo legal limit–
Outside your tap

Your river is the Longton Bk - source to R Trent, rated poor

The Environment Agency rated the Longton Bk - source to R Trent 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, insects and other small river life and phosphate. 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

91

forever-chemical detections in nearby rivers and groundwater

At 9 sites. The highest was PFOA at 0.028 µg/L, at RSN0342 Lyme Brook, 6.3 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

ST3 in short

Tap water in ST3 (Stoke-on-Trent) is supplied by Severn Trent in the Stoke-on-Trent Central zone and scores 9.4 out of 10, against an England and Wales average of 9.0. None of the 20 tested substances came close to a limit. The latest sample is from 30 December 2025.

  • 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
  • 2nd cleanest of 5 areas tested in Stoke-on-TrentOnly 1 area in Stoke-on-Trent scored higher. The best is ST1 on 9.4. Every area in Stoke-on-Trent
  • PFAS found at 9 monitoring sites within 10 kmThose are river and groundwater samples, not tap water. The highest was PFOA about 6.3 km away. What was measured

Next door

ST19.4 out of 10ST69.3 out of 10ST29.3 out of 10ST49.4 out of 10ST129.0 out of 10

Questions about ST3 water

Is ST3 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, ST3 (Stoke-on-Trent) water scores 9.4/10, which is safe. 0 of 20 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Severn Trent.

What contaminants are in ST3 water?

We tested 20 contaminants in ST3 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels. 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 ST3?

ST3 (Stoke-on-Trent) 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 ST3?

ST3 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 ST3 water?

The tap-water tests we hold for ST3 do not include a PFAS result. Environment Agency monitoring found PFAS in 91 river and groundwater samples from 9 sites within 10 km of ST3, the highest being PFOA at 0.028 µg/L about 6.3 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 ST3?

The Environment Agency rated the Longton Bk - source to R Trent 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, insects and other small river life and phosphate. 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 ST3, which is treated before it reaches homes.

Keep reading

PFAS explainedHow to test your waterBest water filtersFilter shower headsWater testing kitsAll of Stoke-on-TrentUK water rankingsWater hardness checkerWater hardness map

River and groundwater readings near ST3

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
Iron0.22 mg/L0.2 mg/L
pH7.98 pHNone
Temperature11.7 °CNone
Conductivity809 µS/cmNone
Nitrate1.3 mg/L50 mg/L
Nitrite0.017 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Phosphate0.033 mg/LNone
Dissolved Oxygen10.6 mg/LNone
Ammonia0.097 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Cadmium0.0001 mg/L0.005 mg/L
Copper0.00285 mg/L2 mg/L
Zinc0.0151 mg/LNone

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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