DL6 tap water: what's in it?
Yorkshire Water: at least 69 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.
DL6 tap water quality report · 2026
Hardness
Hard
Northallerton and Thirsk 2019 (supply zone) · 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2024
Details
Northallerton and Thirsk 2019 (supply zone) · 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2024
Hosepipe ban
No hosepipe ban
Checked 11 October 2026 at 02:34
Details
Checked 11 October 2026 at 02:34
Storm overflows
19 overflows within 10 km of DL6 centre
386 spills in 2025
Details
386 spills in 2025
Lead pipes
56% built before 1973
Estimate, not a test. Homes in the parts of DL6 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: 54–56%. England and Wales: 61% (2026).
Details
Estimate, not a test. Homes in the parts of DL6 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: 54–56%. England and Wales: 61% (2026).
Who supplies water in DL6
Supplies 578 of 683 postcodes (85%)
Sewerage: Usually Yorkshire Water — they provide water and sewerage across most of their area. Your water bill confirms yours.
Part of Northumbrian, Essex and Suffolk Water
Supplies 104 of 683 postcodes (15%)
Sewerage: Usually Northumbrian Water — they provide water and sewerage across most of their area. Your water bill confirms yours.
Boundary or unplaced: 1 postcodes
Drinking-water test record
Yorkshire Water: 578 of 683 postcodes
Yorkshire Water
Yorkshire Water, company-wide
- Regulator
- DWI
- Report year
- 2025
- Failed tests
- Not shown
- Tests
- 388,919
The regulator's published total and its company rows disagree, so we don't show a count.
| Parameter | Failed tests |
|---|---|
| E. coli (confirmed) | Failed tests: 4 |
| Enterococci (confirmed) | Failed tests: 2 |
| Iron | Failed tests: 20 |
| Lead | Failed tests: 6 |
| Nickel | Failed tests: 7 |
| Total coliforms (confirmed) | Failed tests: 30 |
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
Northumbrian Water: 104 of 683 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 DL6?
81% of DL6's postcodes are in the Northallerton and Thirsk 2019 supply zone (Yorkshire Water): 274 mg/l, hard.
Northallerton and Thirsk 2019 · Yorkshire Water (553 of 683 postcodes)
274 mg/l · 19.3 °Clark · 15.4 °dH · 27.4 °fH
Zone average.
Northallerton and Thirsk 2019 (supply zone) · 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2024
Source: Yorkshire Water — dated 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2024, read 30 September 2026
4 identified supply zones in DL6
Northallerton and Thirsk 2019 · Yorkshire Water (553 of 683 postcodes)
274 mg/l · 19.3 °Clark · 15.4 °dH · 27.4 °fH
Zone average.
Northallerton and Thirsk 2019 (supply zone) · 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2024
Source: Yorkshire Water — dated 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2024, read 30 September 2026
Nunthorpe Zone · Northumbrian Water (87 of 683 postcodes)
125 mg/l · 8.8 °Clark · 7.0 °dH · 12.5 °fH
Zone average.
Nunthorpe Zone (supply zone) · January 2025 to December 2025
Source: Northumbrian Water — dated January 2025 to December 2025, read 28 September 2026
Longnewton to Tees Ind Est Zone · Northumbrian Water (9 of 683 postcodes)
125 mg/l · 8.8 °Clark · 7.0 °dH · 12.5 °fH
Zone average.
Longnewton to Tees Ind Est Zone (supply zone) · January 2025 to December 2025
Source: Northumbrian Water — dated January 2025 to December 2025, read 28 September 2026
Catterick and Richmond 2019 · Yorkshire Water (1 of 683 postcodes)
227 mg/l · 16.0 °Clark · 12.7 °dH · 22.7 °fH
Zone average.
Catterick and Richmond 2019 (supply zone) · 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2024
Source: Yorkshire Water — dated 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2024, read 28 September 2026
32 postcodes without an identified supply zone
Yorkshire Water (24 of 683 postcodes)
We do not have a verified hardness figure for this area. Ask your water company for its water quality report.
Northumbrian Water (8 of 683 postcodes)
We do not have a verified hardness figure for this area. Ask your water company for its water quality report.
Storm overflows nearby
19 overflows within 10 km of DL6 centre · 386 spills in 2025
DL6 (district) · 2025
Source: Environment Agency EDM annual return 2025 — dated 20 August 2026, read 13 October 2026
Overflows here are run by Northumbrian Water and Yorkshire Water.
13 of these were monitored for only part of 2025.
Nearest 5 shown
YWS UNKNOWN SITES DEFAULT
Into TRIB WISKE/SWALE · 2 km from the centre of DL6
25 spills · 85.3 hours · Monitored 100% of 2025
YWS UNKNOWN SITES DEFAULT
Into TRIB WISKE/SWALE · 2.7 km from the centre of DL6
27 spills · 60.3 hours · Monitored 100% of 2025
HALFWAY HOUSE SSO
Into TRIB OF RIVER WISKE · 3.4 km from the centre of DL6
0 spills · 0 hours · Monitored 99.9% of 2025
APPLEGARTH BRIDGE CSO
Into SUN BECK · 4.4 km from the centre of DL6
39 spills · 71.3 hours · Monitored 100% of 2025
SPRINGWELL LANE NORTH CSO
Into WILLOW BECK · 4.8 km from the centre of DL6
57 spills · 139 hours · Monitored 98.5% 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
56% built before 1973
56% of homes here were built before 1973 — estimate, not a test.
Homes in the parts of DL6 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: 54–56%. England and Wales: 61% (2026).
Older homes are more likely to have lead pipes. Only a test tells you whether yours does.
DL6 (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 water softener for UK buyers yet.
What a pick has to pass:
- An exact-model listing from NSF, WQA or IAPMO for the model sold in the UK
- Listed to NSF/ANSI 44, the water softener standard
- The manufacturer's documented feed connection and water-pressure range, so a plumber can check them against UK pipework
- UK availability evidenced by Amazon UK, the manufacturer or a UK retailer, checked in the last 90 days
Until we can recommend one, see what a softener costs to buy, fit and run in the UK. Water softener cost
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 DL6
- Is the water in DL6 hard or soft?
- Yorkshire Water: hard, 274 mg/l, 19.3 °Clark, 15.4 °dH, 27.4 °fH (Northallerton and Thirsk 2019 (supply zone), 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2024). Zone average. Northumbrian Water: slightly hard, 125 mg/l, 8.8 °Clark, 7.0 °dH, 12.5 °fH (Nunthorpe Zone (supply zone), January 2025 to December 2025). Zone average. Yorkshire Water: We do not have a verified hardness figure for this area. Ask your water company for its water quality report. Northumbrian Water: slightly hard, 125 mg/l, 8.8 °Clark, 7.0 °dH, 12.5 °fH (Longnewton to Tees Ind Est 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. Yorkshire Water: hard, 227 mg/l, 16.0 °Clark, 12.7 °dH, 22.7 °fH (Catterick and Richmond 2019 (supply zone), 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2024). Zone average.
- What does the drinking water regulator's record show for DL6?
- Yorkshire Water: at least 69 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 DL6 have lead pipes?
- 56% of homes here were built before 1973 — estimate, not a test. Homes in the parts of DL6 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: 54–56%. 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 DL6 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
- Yorkshire Water contact page ↗ · 13 October 2026 · read 13 October 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
- Yorkshire Water ↗ · 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2024 · read 30 September 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
- Yorkshire Water ↗ · 11 October 2026 · read 11 October 2026
Yorkshire Water contact page, Northumbrian Water contact page, Yorkshire Water, Northumbrian Water, Northumbrian Water, Yorkshire Water, Yorkshire 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 v3.0
Data generation uk-2026-10-16-derive6