DL17 tap water: what's in it?
Northumbrian, Essex and Suffolk Water group (figures include Northumbrian Water): at least 36 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.
DL17 tap water quality report · 2026
Hardness
Soft
Derwent Trunk Main South & Durham Zone (supply zone) · January 2025 to December 2025
Details
Derwent Trunk Main South & Durham Zone (supply zone) · January 2025 to December 2025
Hosepipe ban
No hosepipe ban
Checked 11 October 2026 at 02:34
Details
Checked 11 October 2026 at 02:34
Storm overflows
123 overflows within 10 km of DL17 centre
2,165 spills in 2025
Details
2,165 spills in 2025
Lead pipes
74% built before 1973
Estimate, not a test. Homes in the parts of DL17 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. Allowing for suppressed counts: 72–74%. England and Wales: 61% (2026).
Details
Estimate, not a test. Homes in the parts of DL17 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. Allowing for suppressed counts: 72–74%. England and Wales: 61% (2026).
Who supplies water in DL17
Part of Northumbrian, Essex and Suffolk Water
Supplies 537 of 537 postcodes (100%)
Sewerage: Usually Northumbrian Water — they provide water and sewerage across most of their area. Your water bill confirms yours.
Drinking-water test record
Northumbrian Water: 537 of 537 postcodes
Northumbrian Water
Northumbrian, Essex and Suffolk Water group, includes Northumbrian Water
- Regulator
- DWI
- Report year
- 2025
- Failed tests
- Not shown
- Tests
- 266,202
The regulator's published total and its company rows disagree, so we don't show a count.
| Parameter | Failed tests |
|---|---|
| Aluminium | Failed tests: 4 |
| E. coli (confirmed) | Failed tests: 3 |
| Enterococci (confirmed) | Failed tests: 1 |
| Iron | Failed tests: 9 |
| Lead | Failed tests: 5 |
| Manganese | Failed tests: 3 |
| Nickel | Failed tests: 2 |
| Nitrite – consumers taps | Failed tests: 1 |
| Sodium | Failed tests: 1 |
| Total coliforms (confirmed) | Failed tests: 7 |
Source: DWI england 2025, Annex B — dated 6 July 2026, read 13 October 2026
Source: DWI england 2025, Annex A — dated 6 July 2026, read 13 October 2026
England: 99.97% of tests met standards in 2025 (DWI).
Source: DWI england 2025, national compliance — dated 6 July 2026, read 13 October 2026
How hard is the water in DL17?
Across DL17's supply zones, hardness ranges from 57 mg/l (soft) to 81 mg/l (soft). Those 2 zones cover 66% of its postcodes.
2 identified supply zones in DL17
Derwent Trunk Main South & Durham Zone · Northumbrian Water (235 of 537 postcodes)
57 mg/l · 4.0 °Clark · 3.2 °dH · 5.7 °fH
Zone average.
Derwent Trunk Main South & Durham Zone (supply zone) · January 2025 to December 2025
Source: Northumbrian Water — dated January 2025 to December 2025, read 28 September 2026
Sedgefield & Aycliffe Zone · Northumbrian Water (119 of 537 postcodes)
81 mg/l · 5.7 °Clark · 4.6 °dH · 8.1 °fH
Zone average.
Sedgefield & Aycliffe Zone (supply zone) · January 2025 to December 2025
Source: Northumbrian Water — dated January 2025 to December 2025, read 28 September 2026
183 postcodes without an identified supply zone
Northumbrian Water (183 of 537 postcodes)
We do not have a verified hardness figure for this area. Ask your water company for its water quality report.
Storm overflows nearby
123 overflows within 10 km of DL17 centre · 2,165 spills in 2025
DL17 (district) · 2025
Source: Environment Agency EDM annual return 2025 — dated 20 August 2026, read 13 October 2026
Overflows here are run by Northumbrian Water.
121 of these were monitored for only part of 2025.
Nearest 5 shown
FERRYHILL PS
Into TRIB OF MAINSFORTH STELL · 0.2 km from the centre of DL17
18 spills · 24.2 hours · Monitored 99.9% of 2025
DEAN ROAD CSO
Into TRIBUTARY OF RIVER SKERNE · 0.3 km from the centre of DL17
8 spills · 0.4 hours · Monitored 100% of 2025
ROWLANDSON TERRACE CSO
Into CARRS TRIBUTARY · 0.8 km from the centre of DL17
17 spills · 2.2 hours · Monitored 97.9% of 2025
CHILTON LANE A CSO
Into TRIB OF THE CARRS RVR SKERNE · 0.8 km from the centre of DL17
29 spills · 32.1 hours · Monitored 80.7% of 2025
CHILTON LANE SSO
Into Mainsforth Stell · 1.1 km from the centre of DL17
16 spills · 31.5 hours · Monitored 99.6% of 2025
Annual 2025 figures from monitored overflows. Not live, and not a bathing-water or tap-water verdict.
- 57 England outfalls in the 2025 return had no usable location and aren't counted.
- Northern Ireland isn't covered: No licensed annual per-outfall source in the approved source list; BT postcode coordinates require an LPS licence.
Older homes and lead pipes
74% built before 1973
74% of homes here were built before 1973 — estimate, not a test.
Homes in the parts of DL17 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. Allowing for suppressed counts: 72–74%. England and Wales: 61% (2026).
Older homes are more likely to have lead pipes. Only a test tells you whether yours does.
DL17 (district) · 2026
Source: Valuation Office Agency, Council Tax: stock of properties — dated 31 March 2026, read 24 September 2026
Fluoride
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.
England · 2026 health monitoring report
Source: UKHSA and DHSC — dated 30 March 2026, read 13 October 2026
Hosepipe bans
What you can do
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Links go to amazon.com; Amazon's Earn Globally service can localise them to amazon.co.uk. Check the model and UK delivery before buying.
Water filter jugs
LifeStraw
LSH7GLSPK21
Performance certification:
Certified by WQA to NSF/ANSI 42 for Aesthetic Chlorine and Taste and Odor; Certified by WQA to NSF/ANSI 53 for Lead and Mercury; Certified by WQA to NSF/ANSI 401 for Microplastics (a US/international standard; it is not UK approval)
View Detailsreduces chlorine taste and odour in drinking water.
A UK retailer lists this model. Amazon UK stock and delivery are unverified; this Amazon link may not ship to the UK. Check the exact model and UK delivery before you pay.
UK availability evidence checked 14 October 2026.
Shower filters
Weddell Water
WD-100BL
Performance certification:
Certified by NSF to NSF/ANSI 177 for Free Available Chlorine Reduction (a US/international standard; it is not UK approval)
View Detailsreduces chlorine in shower water; does not soften water.
A UK retailer lists this model. Amazon UK stock and delivery are unverified; this Amazon link may not ship to the UK. Check the exact model and UK delivery before you pay.
Check it fits your shower fitting before buying; a US fitting may need an adaptor.
UK availability evidence checked 14 October 2026.
We haven't verified a lead test kit for UK buyers yet.
What a pick has to pass:
- A lead result reported by a laboratory accredited for that test (UKAS, ISO/IEC 17025), named on the kit's listing
- UK availability evidenced by Amazon UK, the manufacturer or a UK retailer, checked in the last 90 days
Start with your water company: if you think you have lead pipes, you can ask it to test the water at your kitchen tap. Which water test you need
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)
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 DL17
- Is the water in DL17 hard or soft?
- Northumbrian Water: soft, 57 mg/l, 4.0 °Clark, 3.2 °dH, 5.7 °fH (Derwent Trunk Main South & Durham Zone (supply zone), January 2025 to December 2025). Zone average. Northumbrian Water: We do not have a verified hardness figure for this area. Ask your water company for its water quality report. Northumbrian Water: soft, 81 mg/l, 5.7 °Clark, 4.6 °dH, 8.1 °fH (Sedgefield & Aycliffe Zone (supply zone), January 2025 to December 2025). Zone average.
- What does the drinking water regulator's record show for DL17?
- Northumbrian, Essex and Suffolk Water group (figures include Northumbrian Water): at least 36 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 DL17 have lead pipes?
- 74% of homes here were built before 1973 — estimate, not a test. Homes in the parts of DL17 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. Allowing for suppressed counts: 72–74%. 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 DL17 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.
Sources and method
- Water Company Boundaries (UC2) ↗ · 19 September 2026 · read 20 September 2026
- Northumbrian Water contact page ↗ · 13 October 2026 · read 13 October 2026
- DWI england 2025, Annex B ↗ · 2025 · read 13 October 2026
- DWI england 2025, national compliance ↗ · 2025 · read 13 October 2026
- Northumbrian Water ↗ · January 2025 to December 2025 · read 28 September 2026
- Northumbrian Water ↗ · January 2025 to December 2025 · read 28 September 2026
- Environment Agency EDM annual return 2025 ↗ · 2025 · read 13 October 2026
- Valuation Office Agency, Council Tax: stock of properties ↗ · 2026 · read 24 September 2026
- UKHSA and DHSC ↗ · 2026 health monitoring report · read 13 October 2026
- Environment Agency ↗ · 11 October 2026 · read 11 October 2026
Northumbrian Water contact page, Northumbrian Water, Northumbrian Water: Database right, used under the publisher's terms.
Water company boundaries © Water UK, licensed under CC BY 4.0Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0All content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0, except where otherwise stated © Crown copyright
Data generation uk-2026-10-16-derive6