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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in TS21, County DurhamSafe to drink.Moderately soft.

Supplied by Northumbrian Water. 3,931 samples, 20 substances, latest on 23 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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Households concerned about PFAS and heavy metals

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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 TS21 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 16% 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%Lead: 0.000065 mg/L, <1% of the 0.01 mg/L limitLead<1%Arsenic: 0.0001 mg/L, 1% of the 0.01 mg/L limitArsenic1%Copper: 0.022 mg/L, 1% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper1%Manganese: 0.00056 mg/L, 1% of the 0.05 mg/L limitManganese1%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%Selenium: 0.00083 mg/L, 2% of the 0.04 mg/L limitSelenium2%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%Nickel: 0.0011 mg/L, 6% of the 0.02 mg/L limitNickel6%Turbidity: 0.24 NTU, 6% of the 4 NTU limitTurbidity6%Colour: 1.3 mg/L Pt/Co, 7% of the 20 mg/L Pt/Co limitColour7%Fluoride: 0.099 mg/L, 7% of the 1.5 mg/L limitFluoride7%Iron: 0.018 mg/L, 9% of the 0.2 mg/L limitIron9%Aluminium: 0.019 mg/L, 9% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium9%Nitrate: 7.8 mg/L, 16% of the 50 mg/L limitNitrate16%
  1. Nitrate16%
  2. Aluminium9%
  3. Iron9%
  4. Fluoride7%
  5. Colour7%
  6. Turbidity6%
  7. Nickel6%
  8. Bromate5%
  9. Antimony3%
  10. Selenium2%
  11. Chromium1%
  12. Nitrite1%
  13. Boron1%
  14. Manganese1%
  15. Copper1%
  16. Arsenic1%
  17. Lead<1%
  18. Cadmium<1%
  • Conductivity 240 µS/cm
  • pH 7.9 pH
All 20 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Colour1.3 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
7%
Iron0.018 mg/L0.2 mg/L
9%
Aluminium0.019 mg/L0.2 mg/L
9%
Conductivity240 µS/cmNo legal limit–
Manganese0.00056 mg/L0.05 mg/L
1%
pH7.9 pHNo legal limit–
Turbidity0.24 NTU4 NTU
6%
Bromate0.0005 mg/L0.01 mg/L
5%
Arsenic0.0001 mg/L0.01 mg/L
1%
Nitrate7.8 mg/L50 mg/L
16%
Boron0.012 mg/L1 mg/L
1%
Copper0.022 mg/L2 mg/L
1%
Selenium0.00083 mg/L0.04 mg/L
2%
Fluoride0.099 mg/L1.5 mg/L
7%
Chromium0.00067 mg/L0.05 mg/L
1%
Cadmium0.000018 mg/L0.005 mg/L
<1%
Lead0.000065 mg/L0.01 mg/L
<1%
Nitrite0.0061 mg/L0.5 mg/L
1%
Nickel0.0011 mg/L0.02 mg/L
6%
Antimony0.00016 mg/L0.005 mg/L
3%

115mg of limescale minerals in every litre

Soft water. Kind to kettles, boilers and skin

You will not need a softener here, and you will use less soap and detergent than most of England.

Soft400 mg/L
Outside your tap

Your river is the Billingham Beck from Source to Bishopton Beck, rated poor

The Environment Agency rated the Billingham Beck from Source to Bishopton Beck 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 insects and other small river life, phosphate and water plants and algae. 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

TS21 in short

Tap water in TS21 (County Durham) is supplied by Northumbrian Water in the County Durham 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 23 December 2025.

  • 12th cleanest of 22 areas tested in County DurhamSquarely mid-table for County Durham, between DH1 on 9.7 and TS28 on 9.
  • 0.6 points above the national average of 9Cleaner than the typical tested district in the UK. Compare every area
  • Nothing tested came within 40% of its legal limitThe highest was Nitrate at 16% of the 50 mg/L maximum. See every reading

Next door

DH89.3 out of 10 · 90 mg/LDH29.4 out of 10 · 80 mg/LDL59.7 out of 10 · 115 mg/LDL149.6 out of 10 · 115 mg/LDH69.7 out of 10 · 480 mg/LDL169.4 out of 10 · 70 mg/LDH39.4 out of 10 · 80 mg/LDL139.7 out of 10 · 85 mg/LDL159.4 out of 10 · 85 mg/LDH79.4 out of 10 · 85 mg/L

Questions about TS21 water

Is TS21 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, TS21 (County Durham) 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 TS21 water?

We tested 20 contaminants in TS21 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels.

Who supplies water in TS21?

TS21 (County Durham) is supplied by Northumbrian Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.

Is TS21 water hard or soft?

Water in TS21 (County Durham) has a hardness of 115 mg/L CaCO3, which is classified as moderately soft. This is a moderate hardness level.

Should I use a water filter in TS21?

TS21 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 TS21 water?

No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for TS21, 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 TS21?

The Environment Agency rated the Billingham Beck from Source to Bishopton Beck 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 insects and other small river life, phosphate and water plants and algae. 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 TS21, 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 TS21

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
Lead0.00013 mg/L0.01 mg/L
pH8.15 pHNone
Nickel0.0017 mg/L0.02 mg/L
Temperature13.4 °CNone
Conductivity720 µS/cmNone
Ammonia0.11 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Nitrate4.3 mg/L50 mg/L
Nitrite0.093 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Phosphate1.4 mg/LNone
Dissolved Oxygen10.8 mg/LNone
Copper0.0055 mg/L2 mg/L
Zinc0.0062 mg/LNone

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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