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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in TS2, MiddlesbroughSafe to drink.Slightly hard.

Supplied by Northumbrian Water. 1,908 samples, 20 substances, latest on 20 December 2025. Everything is inside the legal limit, and nothing comes close to it.

See the filter we recommendSee everything that was tested

9.6 / 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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High-volume under-sink filtration without RO complexity

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Basic chlorine and taste improvement on a budget

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What's in a glass of TS2 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.

Nickel came closest to a limit, at 13% of it. 18 of 18 substances used under a quarter of theirs.

0%25%50%75%limitLegal limitCadmium: 0.000018 mg/L, <1% of the 0.005 mg/L limitCadmium<1%Arsenic: 0.00007 mg/L, <1% of the 0.01 mg/L limitArsenic<1%Manganese: 0.00045 mg/L, <1% of the 0.05 mg/L limitManganese<1%Boron: 0.012 mg/L, 1% of the 1 mg/L limitBoron1%Nitrite: 0.0061 mg/L, 1% of the 0.5 mg/L limitNitrite1%Chromium: 0.00067 mg/L, 1% of the 0.05 mg/L limitChromium1%Lead: 0.00018 mg/L, 2% of the 0.01 mg/L limitLead2%Selenium: 0.00083 mg/L, 2% of the 0.04 mg/L limitSelenium2%Copper: 0.049 mg/L, 2% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper2%Iron: 0.0052 mg/L, 3% of the 0.2 mg/L limitIron3%Antimony: 0.00016 mg/L, 3% of the 0.005 mg/L limitAntimony3%Bromate: 0.0005 mg/L, 5% of the 0.01 mg/L limitBromate5%Turbidity: 0.24 NTU, 6% of the 4 NTU limitTurbidity6%Aluminium: 0.012 mg/L, 6% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium6%Colour: 1.2 mg/L Pt/Co, 6% of the 20 mg/L Pt/Co limitColour6%Fluoride: 0.094 mg/L, 6% of the 1.5 mg/L limitFluoride6%Nitrate: 6.2 mg/L, 12% of the 50 mg/L limitNitrate12%Nickel: 0.0025 mg/L, 13% of the 0.02 mg/L limitNickel13%
  1. Nickel13%
  2. Nitrate12%
  3. Fluoride6%
  4. Turbidity6%
  5. Aluminium6%
  6. Colour6%
  7. Bromate5%
  8. Antimony3%
  9. Iron3%
  10. Copper2%
  11. Selenium2%
  12. Lead2%
  13. Chromium1%
  14. Nitrite1%
  15. Boron1%
  16. Manganese<1%
  17. Arsenic<1%
  18. Cadmium<1%
  • pH 7.9 pH
  • Conductivity 310 µS/cm
All 20 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Turbidity0.24 NTU4 NTU
6%
Aluminium0.012 mg/L0.2 mg/L
6%
pH7.9 pHNo legal limit–
Colour1.2 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
6%
Manganese0.00045 mg/L0.05 mg/L
<1%
Iron0.0052 mg/L0.2 mg/L
3%
Conductivity310 µS/cmNo legal limit–
Nitrite0.0061 mg/L0.5 mg/L
1%
Bromate0.0005 mg/L0.01 mg/L
5%
Nickel0.0025 mg/L0.02 mg/L
13%
Cadmium0.000018 mg/L0.005 mg/L
<1%
Chromium0.00067 mg/L0.05 mg/L
1%
Arsenic0.00007 mg/L0.01 mg/L
<1%
Copper0.049 mg/L2 mg/L
2%
Fluoride0.094 mg/L1.5 mg/L
6%
Lead0.00018 mg/L0.01 mg/L
2%
Selenium0.00083 mg/L0.04 mg/L
2%
Nitrate6.2 mg/L50 mg/L
12%
Antimony0.00016 mg/L0.005 mg/L
3%
Boron0.012 mg/L1 mg/L
1%

143mg 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.

Soft400 mg/L
Outside your tap

Your estuary is the Tees, rated moderate

The Environment Agency rated the Tees as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the estuary is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by fish, nitrogen and seagrass and saltmarsh. 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

58

forever-chemical detections in nearby rivers and groundwater

At 3 sites. The highest was PFOA at 0.013 µg/L, at RSN1800 Bassleton Beck at Thornaby Wood, 7.6 km away, in June 2024. These are river and borehole samples, not tests of your tap water.

Every PFAS sample around Middlesbrough · Which filters remove PFAS · PFAS explained

TS2 in short

Tap water in TS2 (Middlesbrough) is supplied by Northumbrian Water in the Middlesbrough Central zone and scores 9.6 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 20 December 2025.

  • 4th cleanest of 7 areas tested in MiddlesbroughSquarely mid-table for Middlesbrough, between TS5 on 9.7 and TS4 on 9.4. Every area in Middlesbrough
  • 0.6 points above the national average of 9Cleaner than the typical tested district in the UK. Compare every area
  • PFAS found at 3 monitoring sites within 10 kmThose are river and groundwater samples, not tap water. The highest was PFOA about 7.6 km away. What was measured

Next door

TS39.6 out of 10 · 133 mg/LTS19.6 out of 10 · 143 mg/LTS89.6 out of 10 · 150 mg/LTS79.7 out of 10 · 143 mg/LTS49.4 out of 10 · 133 mg/LTS59.7 out of 10 · 133 mg/LTS239.6 out of 10 · 155 mg/L

Questions about TS2 water

Is TS2 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, TS2 (Middlesbrough) water scores 9.6/10, which is safe. 0 of 20 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Northumbrian Water.

What contaminants are in TS2 water?

We tested 20 contaminants in TS2 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 TS2?

TS2 (Middlesbrough) is supplied by Northumbrian Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.

Is TS2 water hard or soft?

Water in TS2 (Middlesbrough) has a hardness of 143 mg/L CaCO3, which is classified as moderately hard. This is a moderate hardness level.

Should I use a water filter in TS2?

TS2 water scored 9.6/10 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 TS2 water?

The tap-water tests we hold for TS2 do not include a PFAS result. Environment Agency monitoring found PFAS in 58 river and groundwater samples from 3 sites within 10 km of TS2, the highest being PFOA at 0.013 µg/L about 7.6 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 estuary near TS2?

The Environment Agency rated the Tees as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the estuary is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by fish, nitrogen and seagrass and saltmarsh. 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 estuary, not of tap water in TS2, which is treated before it reaches homes.

Keep reading

PFAS explainedHow to test your waterBest water filtersFilter shower headsWater testing kitsAll of MiddlesbroughUK water rankingsWater hardness checkerWater hardness map

River and groundwater readings near TS2

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
Manganese0.058 mg/L0.05 mg/L
Iron0.739 mg/L0.2 mg/L
pH7.9 pHNone
Temperature16.3 °CNone
Conductivity1050 µS/cmNone
Ammonia0.067 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Nitrate1.5 mg/L50 mg/L
Nitrite0.023 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Phosphate0.11 mg/LNone
Dissolved Oxygen6.89 mg/LNone
Lead0.00285 mg/L0.01 mg/L
Cadmium0.0001 mg/L0.005 mg/L
Hardness (as CaCO3)362 mg/LNone
Chromium0.00166 mg/L0.05 mg/L
Zinc0.028 mg/LNone
Nickel0.0041 mg/L0.02 mg/L
Aluminium0.031 mg/L0.2 mg/L
Arsenic0.0012 mg/L0.01 mg/L

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Source: Northumbrian 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