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England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in ST5, Newcastle-under-LymeSafe to drink.

Supplied by Severn Trent. 1,079 samples, 20 substances, latest on 20 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

9.1 / 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 ST5.

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Osmio PRO-III Ultimate Whole House

£499typical price

Removes nitrate, the result that stood out in ST5.

Check price at Osmio (opens in new tab)
ZeroWater 12-Cup Ready-Pour

ZeroWater 12-Cup Ready-Pour

£40typical price

Removes nitrate, the result that stood out in ST5.

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What's in a glass of ST5 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 78% of it. 16 of 17 substances used under a quarter of theirs.

0%25%50%75%limitLegal limitCadmium: 0.00001 mg/L, <1% of the 0.005 mg/L limitCadmium<1%Copper: 0.0055 mg/L, <1% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper<1%Nitrite: 0.003 mg/L, <1% of the 0.5 mg/L limitNitrite<1%Selenium: 0.00024 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%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%Trihalomethanes: 0.005 mg/L, 5% of the 0.1 mg/L limitTrihalomethanes5%Lead: 0.00055 mg/L, 6% of the 0.01 mg/L limitLead6%Aluminium: 0.021 mg/L, 11% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium11%Arsenic: 0.00126 mg/L, 13% of the 0.01 mg/L limitArsenic13%Nitrate: 39.1 mg/L, 78% of the 50 mg/L limitNitrate78%
  1. Nitrate78%
  2. Arsenic13%
  3. Aluminium11%
  4. Lead6%
  5. Nickel5%
  6. Trihalomethanes5%
  7. Colour4%
  8. Fluoride4%
  9. Iron3%
  10. Turbidity3%
  11. Manganese1%
  12. Antimony1%
  13. Chromium<1%
  14. Nitrite<1%
  15. Selenium<1%
  16. Copper<1%
  17. Cadmium<1%
  • pH 7.7 pH
  • Conductivity 461 µS/cm
  • Phosphate 1.07 mg/L
All 20 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Nitrate39.1 mg/L50 mg/L
78%
Nickel0.001 mg/L0.02 mg/L
5%
Lead0.00055 mg/L0.01 mg/L
6%
Antimony0.000059 mg/L0.005 mg/L
1%
Nitrite0.003 mg/L0.5 mg/L
<1%
Selenium0.00024 mg/L0.04 mg/L
<1%
Turbidity0.12 NTU4 NTU
3%
Aluminium0.021 mg/L0.2 mg/L
11%
Iron0.007 mg/L0.2 mg/L
3%
Manganese0.00073 mg/L0.05 mg/L
1%
pH7.7 pHNo legal limit–
Copper0.0055 mg/L2 mg/L
<1%
Colour0.8 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
4%
Fluoride0.06 mg/L1.5 mg/L
4%
Arsenic0.00126 mg/L0.01 mg/L
13%
Cadmium0.00001 mg/L0.005 mg/L
<1%
Chromium0.00042 mg/L0.05 mg/L
<1%
Conductivity461 µS/cmNo legal limit–
Trihalomethanes0.005 mg/L0.1 mg/L
5%
Phosphate1.07 mg/LNo legal limit–
Outside your tap

Your river is the Lyme Brook Catchment (trib of Trent), rated poor

The Environment Agency rated the Lyme Brook Catchment (trib of 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 water plants and algae, 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

51

forever-chemical detections in nearby rivers and groundwater

At 4 sites. The highest was PFOA at 0.028 µg/L, at RSN0342 Lyme Brook, 2.8 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

ST5 in short

Tap water in ST5 (Newcastle-under-Lyme) is supplied by Severn Trent in the Newcastle-under-Lyme Central zone and scores 9.1 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 20 December 2025.

  • Nitrate is within its legal limit but flagged, at 78% 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
  • PFAS found at 4 monitoring sites within 10 kmThose are river and groundwater samples, not tap water. The highest was PFOA about 2.8 km away. What was measured
  • Right on the national average of 9 out of 10Most of the country's tested districts land within half a point of ST5. Compare every area

Next door

ST78.8 out of 10

Questions about ST5 water

Is ST5 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, ST5 (Newcastle-under-Lyme) water scores 9.1/10, which is safe. 1 of 20 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Severn Trent.

What contaminants are in ST5 water?

We tested 20 contaminants in ST5 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 ST5?

ST5 (Newcastle-under-Lyme) 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 ST5?

With 1 contaminant above recommended levels in ST5, 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 ST5 water?

The tap-water tests we hold for ST5 do not include a PFAS result. Environment Agency monitoring found PFAS in 51 river and groundwater samples from 4 sites within 10 km of ST5, the highest being PFOA at 0.028 µg/L about 2.8 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 ST5?

The Environment Agency rated the Lyme Brook Catchment (trib of 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 water plants and algae, 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 ST5, 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 ST5

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
pH8.1 pHNone
Temperature11.3 °CNone
Conductivity697 µS/cmNone
Ammonia0.078 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Nitrate2.2 mg/L50 mg/L
Nitrite0.022 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Phosphate0.044 mg/LNone
Dissolved Oxygen10.5 mg/LNone
Cadmium0.0001 mg/L0.005 mg/L

Get alerts for your area

We'll email you when water quality data changes for ST5.

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