Is Manchester tap water safe to drink?

Who supplies water in Manchester

Drinking-water test record

How hard is the water in Manchester?

Storm overflows nearby

Older homes and lead pipes

Fluoride

Hosepipe bans

What you can do

Common water problems

• How much does a water softener cost in the UK?

  Water softener cost UK 2026: price by home size

• Why is my tap water cloudy or white?

  Why is my tap water cloudy or white? (UK)

• Why is my tap water brown?

  Brown tap water: causes and what to do (UK)

• Why does my tap water taste metallic?

  Tap water tastes metallic? Causes and fixes (UK)

Questions about tap water in Manchester

Is the water in Manchester hard or soft?

United Utilities: soft, 31 mg/l, 2.2 °Clark, 1.7 °dH, 3.1 °fH (Gorton (supply zone), 12-month average, updated 25 September 2026; 81 samples). Zone average of 81 samples. United Utilities: soft, 30 mg/l, 2.1 °Clark, 1.7 °dH, 3.0 °fH (Didsbury (supply zone), 12-month average, updated 25 September 2026; 84 samples). Zone average of 84 samples. United Utilities: soft, 28 mg/l, 2.0 °Clark, 1.6 °dH, 2.8 °fH (Broughton (supply zone), 12-month average, updated 25 September 2026; 71 samples). Zone average of 71 samples. United Utilities: soft, 28 mg/l, 2.0 °Clark, 1.6 °dH, 2.8 °fH (Manchester City (supply zone), 12-month average, updated 25 September 2026; 58 samples). Zone average of 58 samples. United Utilities: soft, 31 mg/l, 2.2 °Clark, 1.7 °dH, 3.1 °fH (Levenshulme (supply zone), 12-month average, updated 25 September 2026; 55 samples). Zone average of 55 samples. United Utilities: soft, 27 mg/l, 1.9 °Clark, 1.5 °dH, 2.7 °fH (Sharston (supply zone), 12-month average, updated 25 September 2026; 48 samples). Zone average of 48 samples. United Utilities: soft, 32 mg/l, 2.2 °Clark, 1.8 °dH, 3.2 °fH (Newton Heath (supply zone), 12-month average, updated 25 September 2026; 35 samples). Zone average of 35 samples. United Utilities: soft, 31 mg/l, 2.2 °Clark, 1.7 °dH, 3.1 °fH (Moston (supply zone), 12-month average, updated 25 September 2026; 39 samples). Zone average of 39 samples. United Utilities: soft, 31 mg/l, 2.2 °Clark, 1.7 °dH, 3.1 °fH (Chorlton (supply zone), 12-month average, updated 25 September 2026; 40 samples). Zone average of 40 samples. United Utilities: soft, 30 mg/l, 2.1 °Clark, 1.7 °dH, 3.0 °fH (Old Trafford (supply zone), 12-month average, updated 25 September 2026; 54 samples). Zone average of 54 samples. United Utilities: soft, 27 mg/l, 1.9 °Clark, 1.5 °dH, 2.7 °fH (Ringway (supply zone), 12-month average, updated 25 September 2026; 26 samples). Zone average of 26 samples. United Utilities: soft, 30 mg/l, 2.1 °Clark, 1.7 °dH, 3.0 °fH (Blackley (supply zone), 12-month average, updated 25 September 2026; 25 samples). Zone average of 25 samples. United Utilities: soft, 27 mg/l, 1.9 °Clark, 1.5 °dH, 2.7 °fH (Northern Moor (supply zone), 12-month average, updated 25 September 2026; 50 samples). Zone average of 50 samples. United Utilities: We do not have a verified hardness figure for this area. Ask your water company for its water quality report. United Utilities: soft, 31 mg/l, 2.2 °Clark, 1.7 °dH, 3.1 °fH (Prestwich (supply zone), 12-month average, updated 25 September 2026; 49 samples). Zone average of 49 samples. United Utilities: soft, 33 mg/l, 2.3 °Clark, 1.8 °dH, 3.3 °fH (Droylsden (supply zone), 12-month average, updated 25 September 2026; 27 samples). Zone average of 27 samples. United Utilities: soft, 76 mg/l, 5.3 °Clark, 4.3 °dH, 7.6 °fH (Altrincham (supply zone), 12-month average, updated 25 September 2026; 33 samples). Zone average of 33 samples. United Utilities: slightly hard, 137 mg/l, 9.6 °Clark, 7.7 °dH, 13.7 °fH (Wilmslow (supply zone), 12-month average, updated 25 September 2026; 37 samples). Zone average of 37 samples. United Utilities: soft, 27 mg/l, 1.9 °Clark, 1.5 °dH, 2.7 °fH (Sale (supply zone), 12-month average, updated 25 September 2026; 52 samples). Zone average of 52 samples. United Utilities: soft, 28 mg/l, 2.0 °Clark, 1.6 °dH, 2.8 °fH (Errwood Road (supply zone), 12-month average, updated 25 September 2026; 37 samples). Zone average of 37 samples.

What does the drinking water regulator's record show for Manchester?

United Utilities: at least 57 tests failed UK drinking-water standards in 2025 (DWI, company-wide). Some published DWI figures don't reconcile or identify a company, so we've left them out; the true number may be higher. England overall: 99.97% of tests met standards.

Could homes in Manchester have lead pipes?

56% of homes here were built before 1973 — estimate, not a test. Homes in the parts of Manchester we can match to council-tax records (100% of its postcodes) whose build period is known; the share with no recorded build period isn't published for these areas. England and Wales: 61% (2026). Older homes are more likely to have lead pipes. Only a test tells you whether yours does.

Is the water in Manchester fluoridated?

We cannot confirm whether this area is part of a water fluoridation scheme. Ask your water supplier using your postcode. Around one in ten people in England receive drinking water supplied by a fluoridation scheme.