Tap water in TS10, Redcar and ClevelandSafe to drink.Slightly hard.
Supplied by Northumbrian Water. 3,393 samples, 20 substances, latest on 19 December 2025. Everything is inside the legal limit, and nothing comes close to it.
9.3 / 10
The tank is as full as the score. The specks are the minerals that make water hard.
What to do about it

ZeroWater 12-Cup Ready-Pour
£40typical price
Households concerned about PFAS and heavy metals

Waterdrop 10UA Under Sink
£70typical price
High-volume under-sink filtration without RO complexity

BRITA Marella XL + MAXTRA PRO
£25typical price
Basic chlorine and taste improvement on a budget
We earn a commission if you buy through these links, at no extra cost to you. It never changes which product we put first. How we make money
What's in a glass of TS10 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.
Lead came closest to a limit, at 43% of it. 17 of 18 substances used under a quarter of theirs.
- Lead43%
- Nitrate10%
- Aluminium7%
- Colour7%
- Nickel7%
- Fluoride5%
- Turbidity5%
- Bromate5%
- Iron5%
- Antimony3%
- Selenium2%
- Chromium1%
- Nitrite1%
- Boron1%
- Manganese<1%
- Arsenic<1%
- Copper<1%
- Cadmium<1%
- pH 7.9 pH
- Conductivity 250 µS/cm
All 20 results as a table
| Substance | Result | Legal limit | Share of limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turbidity | 0.2 NTU | 4 NTU | 5% |
| pH | 7.9 pH | No legal limit | – |
| Colour | 1.3 mg/L Pt/Co | 20 mg/L Pt/Co | 7% |
| Conductivity | 250 µS/cm | No legal limit | – |
| Iron | 0.0097 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 5% |
| Manganese | 0.00042 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | <1% |
| Aluminium | 0.014 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 7% |
| Lead | 0.0043 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 43% |
| Nitrite | 0.0061 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L | 1% |
| Nickel | 0.0013 mg/L | 0.02 mg/L | 7% |
| Nitrate | 5.1 mg/L | 50 mg/L | 10% |
| Bromate | 0.0005 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 5% |
| Selenium | 0.00083 mg/L | 0.04 mg/L | 2% |
| Antimony | 0.00016 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | 3% |
| Cadmium | 0.000018 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | <1% |
| Copper | 0.0085 mg/L | 2 mg/L | <1% |
| Arsenic | 0.000073 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | <1% |
| Boron | 0.012 mg/L | 1 mg/L | 1% |
| Fluoride | 0.076 mg/L | 1.5 mg/L | 5% |
| Chromium | 0.00067 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | 1% |
130mg of limescale minerals in every litre
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.
Your river is the Tees Estuary (S Bank), rated moderate
The Environment Agency rated the Tees Estuary (S Bank) as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by 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
23
forever-chemical detections in nearby rivers and groundwater
At 2 sites. The highest was PFBA at 0.0073 µg/L, at Spring Emerging at Low Farm, Pinchinthorpe, Guisborough TS14 8HQ, 9.3 km away, in September 2023. These are river and borehole samples, not tests of your tap water.
Every PFAS sample around Middlesbrough · Which filters remove PFAS · PFAS explained
TS10 in short
Tap water in TS10 (Redcar and Cleveland) is supplied by Northumbrian Water in the Redcar and Cleveland Central zone and scores 9.3 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 19 December 2025.
- The lowest score of the 6 areas tested in Redcar and ClevelandTS10 scores 9.3 out of 10. The best in Redcar and Cleveland, TS12, scores 9.7.
- Every one of the 5 neighbouring districts scores higherTS6 next door scores 9.7, against 9.3 here. Supply zones, not distance, explain the gap. See TS6
- Lead is the reading closest to its limit, at 43% of the 0.01 mg/L maximumIt passed with room to spare, and everything else tested sat further below its limit. See every reading
Questions about TS10 water
Is TS10 tap water safe to drink?
Based on the latest tests, TS10 (Redcar and Cleveland) water scores 9.3/10, which is safe. 0 of 20 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Northumbrian Water.
What contaminants are in TS10 water?
We tested 20 contaminants in TS10 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 TS10?
TS10 (Redcar and Cleveland) is supplied by Northumbrian Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.
Is TS10 water hard or soft?
Water in TS10 (Redcar and Cleveland) has a hardness of 130 mg/L CaCO3, which is classified as moderately hard. This is a moderate hardness level.
Should I use a water filter in TS10?
TS10 water scored 9.3/10 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 TS10 water?
The tap-water tests we hold for TS10 do not include a PFAS result. Environment Agency monitoring found PFAS in 23 river and groundwater samples from 2 sites within 10 km of TS10, the highest being PFBA at 0.0073 µg/L about 9.3 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 TS10?
The Environment Agency rated the Tees Estuary (S Bank) as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by 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 TS10, which is treated before it reaches homes.
Keep reading
- Best Filter for PFAS RemovalThe filters with independent certification to remove forever chemicals
- PFAS Forever ChemicalsWhat PFAS are and how to reduce your exposure at home
- Is UK Tap Water Safe?Everything you need to know about tap water safety in the UK
- Best Water Filters UKEvery filter type compared on what it actually removes
PFAS explainedHow to test your waterBest water filtersFilter shower headsWater testing kitsUK water rankingsWater hardness checkerWater hardness map
River and groundwater readings near TS10
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.
| Substance | Reading | Drinking water limit |
|---|---|---|
| Ammonia | 1.1 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L |
| Manganese | 0.065 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L |
| pH | 8.11 pH | None |
| Temperature | 16.4 °C | None |
| Conductivity | 2360 µS/cm | None |
| Nitrate | 0.54 mg/L | 50 mg/L |
| Phosphate | 0.018 mg/L | None |
| Dissolved Oxygen | 9.88 mg/L | None |
| Lead | 0.00012 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L |
| Nitrite | 0.064 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L |
| Hardness (as CaCO3) | 440 mg/L | None |
| Zinc | 0.0014 mg/L | None |
| Nickel | 0.001 mg/L | 0.02 mg/L |
Get alerts for your area
We'll email you when water quality data changes for TS10.