United Utilities supplies most of Manchester (99.9% of its postcodes), and the quality of that water is regulated by the Drinking Water Inspectorate in England and Wales, per ONS Postcode Directory (May 2026), each postcode placed in the water companies' supply-area boundaries (read 26 September 2026).
Source: ONS Postcode Directory (May 2026), each postcode placed in the water companies' supply-area boundaries — read 26 September 2026Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026Contains Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right 2026Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v.3.0Water company boundaries © Water UK, licensed under CC BY 4.0
Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) enforces the UK drinking water quality regulations in England and Wales. Figures it classifies or regulates on this page cover England and Wales only.
The official answer
Manchester is supplied by United Utilities, whose water is regulated by Drinking Water Inspectorate under the UK drinking water quality regulations.
Source: ONS Postcode Directory (May 2026), each postcode placed in the water companies' supply-area boundaries — read 26 September 2026Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026Contains Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right 2026Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v.3.0Water company boundaries © Water UK, licensed under CC BY 4.0
Who supplies Manchester
United Utilities' supply area (99.9% of the 14,279 live postcodes in Manchester): 14267 postcodes
Source: ONS Postcode Directory (May 2026), each postcode placed in the water companies' supply-area boundaries — read 26 September 2026Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026Contains Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right 2026Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v.3.0Water company boundaries © Water UK, licensed under CC BY 4.0
Not placed in any regional water company's supply area (under 0.1% of the 14,279 live postcodes in Manchester): 12 postcodes
Source: ONS Postcode Directory (May 2026), each postcode placed in the water companies' supply-area boundaries — read 26 September 2026Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026Contains Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right 2026Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v.3.0Water company boundaries © Water UK, licensed under CC BY 4.0
What United Utilities' own figures show
United Utilities' published drinking water quality results for 2023: 379892 published sample results
Source: United Utilities' published drinking water quality results for 2023, published on the water industry's shared data portal — dated 20 September 2026, read 20 September 2026United Utilities Domestic Drinking Water Quality 2023-2024 is licensed under CC BY 4.0
United Utilities' published drinking water quality results: 189071 published sample results
Source: United Utilities' published drinking water quality results, published on the water industry's shared data portal — dated 20 September 2026, read 20 September 2026United Utilities Domestic Water Quality © 2024 by United Utilities is licensed under CC BY 4.0
What an independent test shows
We have not tested Manchester’s water ourselves. Nothing on this page is our own measurement. You can have your own supply tested.
Related pages
- What we hold on tap-water safety, town by town
- Hard water in the UK
- Check your postcode
- Every zone we hold a figure for
- United Utilities: what we hold
- United Utilities hosepipe ban status
- What United Utilities publishes for your postcode
- UK water companies
- Manchester, Connecticut
- Manchester, Kentucky
- Manchester, Michigan
- Manchester, New Hampshire
- Manchester, New Jersey
- Manchester, New York
- Manchester, Ohio
- Manchester, Pennsylvania
- Manchester, Tennessee
- Manchester, Virginia
- Manchester, Washington