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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in WR3, WorcesterSafe to drink.

Supplied by Severn Trent. 992 samples, 20 substances, latest on 20 December 2025. Everything is inside the legal limit, and nothing comes close to it.

8.7 / 10

The tank is as full as the score.

What to do about it

ZeroWater 12-Cup Ready-Pour

ZeroWater 12-Cup Ready-Pour

£40typical price

Households concerned about PFAS and heavy metals

Waterdrop 10UA Under Sink

Waterdrop 10UA Under Sink

£70typical price

High-volume under-sink filtration without RO complexity

BRITA Marella XL + MAXTRA PRO

BRITA Marella XL + MAXTRA PRO

£25typical price

Basic chlorine and taste improvement on a budget

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What's in a glass of WR3 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 59% of it. 15 of 17 substances used under a quarter of theirs.

0%25%50%75%limitLegal limitCadmium: 0.00001 mg/L, <1% of the 0.005 mg/L limitCadmium<1%Selenium: 0.00018 mg/L, <1% of the 0.04 mg/L limitSelenium<1%Nitrite: 0.003 mg/L, <1% of the 0.5 mg/L limitNitrite<1%Chromium: 0.00042 mg/L, <1% of the 0.05 mg/L limitChromium<1%Copper: 0.0283 mg/L, 1% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper1%Manganese: 0.00073 mg/L, 1% of the 0.05 mg/L limitManganese1%Antimony: 0.00009 mg/L, 2% of the 0.005 mg/L limitAntimony2%Turbidity: 0.12 NTU, 3% of the 4 NTU limitTurbidity3%Iron: 0.007 mg/L, 3% of the 0.2 mg/L limitIron3%Colour: 0.8 mg/L Pt/Co, 4% of the 20 mg/L Pt/Co limitColour4%Fluoride: 0.07 mg/L, 5% of the 1.5 mg/L limitFluoride5%Arsenic: 0.00073 mg/L, 7% of the 0.01 mg/L limitArsenic7%Nickel: 0.0017 mg/L, 9% of the 0.02 mg/L limitNickel9%Aluminium: 0.021 mg/L, 11% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium11%Trihalomethanes: 0.019 mg/L, 19% of the 0.1 mg/L limitTrihalomethanes19%Nitrate: 23.7 mg/L, 47% of the 50 mg/L limitNitrate47%Lead: 0.00591 mg/L, 59% of the 0.01 mg/L limitLead59%
  1. Lead59%
  2. Nitrate47%
  3. Trihalomethanes19%
  4. Aluminium11%
  5. Nickel9%
  6. Arsenic7%
  7. Fluoride5%
  8. Colour4%
  9. Iron3%
  10. Turbidity3%
  11. Antimony2%
  12. Manganese1%
  13. Copper1%
  14. Chromium<1%
  15. Nitrite<1%
  16. Selenium<1%
  17. Cadmium<1%
  • pH 7.28 pH
  • Conductivity 349 µS/cm
  • Phosphate 0.842 mg/L
All 20 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Colour0.8 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
4%
Turbidity0.12 NTU4 NTU
3%
pH7.28 pHNo legal limit–
Manganese0.00073 mg/L0.05 mg/L
1%
Conductivity349 µS/cmNo legal limit–
Aluminium0.021 mg/L0.2 mg/L
11%
Iron0.007 mg/L0.2 mg/L
3%
Trihalomethanes0.019 mg/L0.1 mg/L
19%
Copper0.0283 mg/L2 mg/L
1%
Fluoride0.07 mg/L1.5 mg/L
5%
Nitrate23.7 mg/L50 mg/L
47%
Arsenic0.00073 mg/L0.01 mg/L
7%
Nitrite0.003 mg/L0.5 mg/L
<1%
Cadmium0.00001 mg/L0.005 mg/L
<1%
Chromium0.00042 mg/L0.05 mg/L
<1%
Nickel0.0017 mg/L0.02 mg/L
9%
Lead0.00591 mg/L0.01 mg/L
59%
Antimony0.00009 mg/L0.005 mg/L
2%
Selenium0.00018 mg/L0.04 mg/L
<1%
Phosphate0.842 mg/LNo legal limit–
Outside your tap

Your river is the Barbourne Bk - source to R Severn, rated moderate

The Environment Agency rated the Barbourne Bk - source to R Severn as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by ammonia 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

WR3 in short

Tap water in WR3 (Worcester) is supplied by Severn Trent in the Worcester Central zone and scores 8.7 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.

  • The lowest score of the 5 areas tested in WorcesterWR3 scores 8.7 out of 10. The best in Worcester, WR4, scores 9.3.
  • Every one of the 4 neighbouring districts scores higherWR4 next door scores 9.3, against 8.7 here. Supply zones, not distance, explain the gap. See WR4
  • Lead is the reading closest to its limit, at 59% 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 WR3 water

Is WR3 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, WR3 (Worcester) water scores 8.7/10, which is safe. 0 of 20 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Severn Trent.

What contaminants are in WR3 water?

We tested 20 contaminants in WR3 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels.

Who supplies water in WR3?

WR3 (Worcester) is supplied by Severn Trent. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.

Should I use a water filter in WR3?

WR3 water scored 8.7/10 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 WR3 water?

No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for WR3, 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 WR3?

The Environment Agency rated the Barbourne Bk - source to R Severn as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by ammonia 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 WR3, 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 WR3

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
pH7.7 pHNone
Temperature21 °CNone
Conductivity625 µS/cmNone
Ammonia0.079 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Nitrate5.7 mg/L50 mg/L
Nitrite0.03 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Phosphate0.11 mg/LNone
Dissolved Oxygen7.24 mg/LNone

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We'll email you when water quality data changes for WR3.

Source: Severn Trent 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