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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in TN28, Folkestone and HytheSafe to drink.Slightly hard.

Supplied by Southern Water. 301 samples, 24 substances, latest on 16 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. The specks are the minerals that make water hard.

What to do about it

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Basic chlorine and taste improvement on a budget

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What's in a glass of TN28 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.

Trihalomethanes came closest to a limit, at 47% of it. 19 of 21 substances used under a quarter of theirs.

0%25%50%75%limitLegal limitNitrite: 0 mg/L, 0% of the 0.5 mg/L limitNitrite0%Antimony: 0.000033 mg/L, <1% of the 0.005 mg/L limitAntimony<1%Chromium: 0.000383 mg/L, <1% of the 0.05 mg/L limitChromium<1%Selenium: 0.000352 mg/L, <1% of the 0.04 mg/L limitSelenium<1%Cadmium: 0.000054 mg/L, 1% of the 0.005 mg/L limitCadmium1%Copper: 0.022 mg/L, 1% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper1%Manganese: 0.000653 mg/L, 1% of the 0.05 mg/L limitManganese1%Aluminium: 0.00399 mg/L, 2% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium2%Mercury: 0.000023 mg/L, 2% of the 0.001 mg/L limitMercury2%Nickel: 0.000611 mg/L, 3% of the 0.02 mg/L limitNickel3%Turbidity: 0.17 NTU, 4% of the 4 NTU limitTurbidity4%Boron: 0.057 mg/L, 6% of the 1 mg/L limitBoron6%Iron: 0.0126 mg/L, 6% of the 0.2 mg/L limitIron6%Lead: 0.000673 mg/L, 7% of the 0.01 mg/L limitLead7%Nitrate: 3.4 mg/L, 7% of the 50 mg/L limitNitrate7%Fluoride: 0.144 mg/L, 10% of the 1.5 mg/L limitFluoride10%Colour: 2 mg/L Pt/Co, 10% of the 20 mg/L Pt/Co limitColour10%Ammonia: 0.06 mg/L, 12% of the 0.5 mg/L limitAmmonia12%Bromate: 0.00147 mg/L, 15% of the 0.01 mg/L limitBromate15%Arsenic: 0.00372 mg/L, 37% of the 0.01 mg/L limitArsenic37%Trihalomethanes: 0.0473 mg/L, 47% of the 0.1 mg/L limitTrihalomethanes47%
  1. Trihalomethanes47%
  2. Arsenic37%
  3. Bromate15%
  4. Ammonia12%
  5. Colour10%
  6. Fluoride10%
  7. Nitrate7%
  8. Lead7%
  9. Iron6%
  10. Boron6%
  11. Turbidity4%
  12. Nickel3%
  13. Mercury2%
  14. Aluminium2%
  15. Manganese1%
  16. Copper1%
  17. Cadmium1%
  18. Selenium<1%
  19. Chromium<1%
  20. Antimony<1%
  21. Nitrite0%
  • Coliform Bacteria none found
  • Conductivity 304 µS/cm
  • E. coli none found
All 24 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Iron0.0126 mg/L0.2 mg/L
6%
Cadmium0.000054 mg/L0.005 mg/L
1%
Trihalomethanes0.0473 mg/L0.1 mg/L
47%
Turbidity0.17 NTU4 NTU
4%
Coliform Bacteria0 count/100mlMust be zeroNone found
Nitrate3.4 mg/L50 mg/L
7%
Mercury0.000023 mg/L0.001 mg/L
2%
Copper0.022 mg/L2 mg/L
1%
Nitrite0 mg/L0.5 mg/L
<1%
Conductivity304 µS/cmNo legal limit–
Colour2 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
10%
Bromate0.00147 mg/L0.01 mg/L
15%
Aluminium0.00399 mg/L0.2 mg/L
2%
Arsenic0.00372 mg/L0.01 mg/L
37%
E. coli0 count/100mlMust be zeroNone found
Antimony0.000033 mg/L0.005 mg/L
<1%
Lead0.000673 mg/L0.01 mg/L
7%
Boron0.057 mg/L1 mg/L
6%
Nickel0.000611 mg/L0.02 mg/L
3%
Ammonia0.06 mg/L0.5 mg/L
12%
Chromium0.000383 mg/L0.05 mg/L
<1%
Fluoride0.144 mg/L1.5 mg/L
10%
Manganese0.000653 mg/L0.05 mg/L
1%
Selenium0.000352 mg/L0.04 mg/L
<1%

150mg of limescale minerals in every litre, typical for the TN area. TN28 has no reading of its own.

Middling hardness. Some scale, slowly

Below the point where a softener pays for itself. Descaling the kettle now and then is all most homes need.

Soft400 mg/L
Outside your tap

Your river is the Dengemarsh Sewer, rated moderate

The Environment Agency rated the Dengemarsh Sewer as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by dissolved oxygen 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

TN28 in short

Tap water in TN28 (Folkestone and Hythe) is supplied by Southern Water in the Folkestone and Hythe Central zone and scores 9.2 out of 10, against an England and Wales average of 9.0. None of the 24 tested substances came close to a limit. The latest sample is from 16 December 2025.

  • 5th cleanest of 6 areas tested in Folkestone and Hythe1 area in Folkestone and Hythe scored lower. The best is CT18 on 9.5.
  • Trihalomethanes is the reading closest to its limit, at 47% of the 0.1 mg/L maximumIt passed with room to spare, and everything else tested sat further below its limit. See every reading
  • Moderately hard water at 150 mg/LSome scale over time across the TN postcode area, but not enough to justify a softener for most homes. How hardness is measured

Next door

CT189.5 out of 10CT199.4 out of 10CT209.4 out of 10CT219.4 out of 10TN299.1 out of 10 · 150 mg/L

Questions about TN28 water

Is TN28 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, TN28 (Folkestone and Hythe) water scores 9.2/10, which is safe. 0 of 24 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Southern Water.

What contaminants are in TN28 water?

We tested 24 contaminants in TN28 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels.

Who supplies water in TN28?

TN28 (Folkestone and Hythe) is supplied by Southern Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.

Is TN28 water hard or soft?

No hardness reading has been published for TN28 itself. Across the TN postcode area the typical value is 150 mg/L CaCO3, which is classified as moderately hard. This is a moderate hardness level.

Should I use a water filter in TN28?

TN28 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 TN28 water?

No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for TN28, 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 TN28?

The Environment Agency rated the Dengemarsh Sewer as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by dissolved oxygen 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 TN28, 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 TN28

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
pH8.11 pHNone
Conductivity3410 µS/cmNone
Temperature10.9 °CNone
Ammonia0.153 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Nitrate2.21 mg/L50 mg/L
Nitrite0.025 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Phosphate0.427 mg/LNone
Hardness (as CaCO3)418 mg/LNone
Copper0.0017 mg/L2 mg/L
Zinc0.005 mg/LNone

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Source: Southern 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