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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in TS22, Stockton-on-TeesSafe to drink.Slightly hard.

Supplied by Northumbrian Water. 2,502 samples, 21 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

9.4 / 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 TS22 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 32% of it. 18 of 19 substances used under a quarter of theirs.

0%25%50%75%limitLegal limitCopper: 0.0035 mg/L, <1% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper<1%Cadmium: 0.000018 mg/L, <1% of the 0.005 mg/L limitCadmium<1%Manganese: 0.00028 mg/L, <1% of the 0.05 mg/L limitManganese<1%Arsenic: 0.00008 mg/L, <1% of the 0.01 mg/L limitArsenic<1%Boron: 0.0089 mg/L, <1% of the 1 mg/L limitBoron<1%Nitrite: 0.0061 mg/L, 1% of the 0.5 mg/L limitNitrite1%Chromium: 0.00074 mg/L, 1% of the 0.05 mg/L limitChromium1%Selenium: 0.00083 mg/L, 2% of the 0.04 mg/L limitSelenium2%Mercury: 0.000022 mg/L, 2% of the 0.001 mg/L limitMercury2%Nickel: 0.00053 mg/L, 3% of the 0.02 mg/L limitNickel3%Antimony: 0.00016 mg/L, 3% of the 0.005 mg/L limitAntimony3%Nitrate: 1.7 mg/L, 3% of the 50 mg/L limitNitrate3%Turbidity: 0.2 NTU, 5% of the 4 NTU limitTurbidity5%Bromate: 0.0005 mg/L, 5% of the 0.01 mg/L limitBromate5%Iron: 0.011 mg/L, 5% of the 0.2 mg/L limitIron5%Colour: 1.4 mg/L Pt/Co, 7% of the 20 mg/L Pt/Co limitColour7%Aluminium: 0.016 mg/L, 8% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium8%Fluoride: 0.15 mg/L, 10% of the 1.5 mg/L limitFluoride10%Lead: 0.0032 mg/L, 32% of the 0.01 mg/L limitLead32%
  1. Lead32%
  2. Fluoride10%
  3. Aluminium8%
  4. Colour7%
  5. Iron5%
  6. Turbidity5%
  7. Bromate5%
  8. Nitrate3%
  9. Antimony3%
  10. Nickel3%
  11. Mercury2%
  12. Selenium2%
  13. Chromium1%
  14. Nitrite1%
  15. Boron<1%
  16. Arsenic<1%
  17. Manganese<1%
  18. Cadmium<1%
  19. Copper<1%
  • pH 7.8 pH
  • Conductivity 260 µS/cm
All 21 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Iron0.011 mg/L0.2 mg/L
5%
Colour1.4 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
7%
Manganese0.00028 mg/L0.05 mg/L
<1%
Aluminium0.016 mg/L0.2 mg/L
8%
Turbidity0.2 NTU4 NTU
5%
pH7.8 pHNo legal limit–
Conductivity260 µS/cmNo legal limit–
Bromate0.0005 mg/L0.01 mg/L
5%
Arsenic0.00008 mg/L0.01 mg/L
<1%
Nitrate1.7 mg/L50 mg/L
3%
Boron0.0089 mg/L1 mg/L
<1%
Copper0.0035 mg/L2 mg/L
<1%
Selenium0.00083 mg/L0.04 mg/L
2%
Fluoride0.15 mg/L1.5 mg/L
10%
Chromium0.00074 mg/L0.05 mg/L
1%
Cadmium0.000018 mg/L0.005 mg/L
<1%
Lead0.0032 mg/L0.01 mg/L
32%
Nitrite0.0061 mg/L0.5 mg/L
1%
Nickel0.00053 mg/L0.02 mg/L
3%
Antimony0.00016 mg/L0.005 mg/L
3%
Mercury0.000022 mg/L0.001 mg/L
2%

143mg of limescale minerals in every litre, typical for the TS area. TS22 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 Cowbridge Beck from Source to North Burn, rated moderate

The Environment Agency rated the Cowbridge Beck from Source to North Burn 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 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

Within 10 km

31

forever-chemical detections in nearby rivers and groundwater

At 3 sites. The highest was PFOA at 0.0029 µg/L, at Tees at Navigation Way Slipway (230M U/S Barrage), 7.4 km away, in July 2023. These are river and borehole samples, not tests of your tap water.

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

TS22 in short

Tap water in TS22 (Stockton-on-Tees) is supplied by Northumbrian Water in the Stockton-on-Tees Central zone and scores 9.4 out of 10, against an England and Wales average of 9.0. None of the 21 tested substances came close to a limit. The latest sample is from 23 December 2025.

  • The lowest score of the 8 areas tested in MiddlesbroughTS22 scores 9.4 out of 10. The best in Middlesbrough, TS15, scores 9.7. Every area in Middlesbrough
  • Every one of the 7 neighbouring districts scores higherTS19 next door scores 9.7, against 9.4 here. Supply zones, not distance, explain the gap. See TS19
  • PFAS found at 3 monitoring sites within 10 kmThose are river and groundwater samples, not tap water. The highest was PFOA about 7.4 km away. What was measured

Next door

TS209.6 out of 10 · 158 mg/LTS199.7 out of 10 · 158 mg/LTS189.7 out of 10 · 138 mg/LTS159.7 out of 10 · 150 mg/LTS179.6 out of 10 · 150 mg/LTS169.6 out of 10 · 138 mg/LTS239.6 out of 10 · 155 mg/L

Questions about TS22 water

Is TS22 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, TS22 (Stockton-on-Tees) water scores 9.4/10, which is safe. 0 of 21 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Northumbrian Water.

What contaminants are in TS22 water?

We tested 21 contaminants in TS22 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 TS22?

TS22 (Stockton-on-Tees) is supplied by Northumbrian Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.

Is TS22 water hard or soft?

No hardness reading has been published for TS22 itself. Across the TS postcode area the typical value is 143 mg/L CaCO3, which is classified as moderately hard. This is a moderate hardness level.

Should I use a water filter in TS22?

TS22 water scored 9.4/10 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 TS22 water?

The tap-water tests we hold for TS22 do not include a PFAS result. Environment Agency monitoring found PFAS in 31 river and groundwater samples from 3 sites within 10 km of TS22, the highest being PFOA at 0.0029 µg/L about 7.4 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 TS22?

The Environment Agency rated the Cowbridge Beck from Source to North Burn 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 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 TS22, 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 TS22

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
pH7.9 pHNone
Temperature16.2 °CNone
Conductivity942 µS/cmNone
Ammonia0.1 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Nitrate0.68 mg/L50 mg/L
Nitrite0.028 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Phosphate0.031 mg/LNone
Dissolved Oxygen7.21 mg/LNone

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We'll email you when water quality data changes for TS22.

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