IG11 tap water: what's in it?
Northumbrian, Essex and Suffolk Water group (figures include Essex & Suffolk 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.
IG11 tap water quality report · 2026
Hardness
Not covered
We do not have a verified hardness figure for this area. Ask your water company for its water quality report.
Details
We do not have a verified hardness figure for this area. Ask your water company for its water quality report.
Hosepipe ban
Hosepipe ban in force
Essex & Suffolk Water (Environment Agency, 11 October 2026). Checked 11 October 2026 at 02:34
Details
Essex & Suffolk Water (Environment Agency, 11 October 2026). Checked 11 October 2026 at 02:34
Storm overflows
60 overflows within 10 km of IG11 centre
391 spills in 2025
Details
391 spills in 2025
Lead pipes
50% built before 1973
Estimate, not a test. Homes in the parts of IG11 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).
Details
Estimate, not a test. Homes in the parts of IG11 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).
Who supplies water in IG11
Part of Northumbrian, Essex and Suffolk Water
Supplies 943 of 1,023 postcodes (92%)
We can't confirm your sewerage company from official data for this area.
Also supplied here: Thames Water (3 of 1,023 postcodes (0%))
Boundary or unplaced: 77 postcodes
Drinking-water test record
Essex & Suffolk Water: 943 of 1,023 postcodes
Essex & Suffolk Water
Northumbrian, Essex and Suffolk Water group, includes Essex & Suffolk 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
Thames Water: 3 of 1,023 postcodes
Thames Water
Thames Water, company-wide
- Regulator
- DWI
- Report year
- 2025
- Failed tests
- Not shown
- Tests
- 436,206
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: 8 |
| Iron | Failed tests: 6 |
| Lead | Failed tests: 13 |
| Nickel | Failed tests: 20 |
| Nitrite – consumers taps | Failed tests: 4 |
| Total coliforms (confirmed) | Failed tests: 13 |
| Turbidity – indicator | Failed tests: 4 |
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 IG11?
Across IG11's supply zones, hardness ranges from 296 mg/l (hard) to 296 mg/l (hard). Those 2 zones cover 3% of its postcodes.
2 identified supply zones in IG11
ILFORD · Essex & Suffolk Water (23 of 1,023 postcodes)
296 mg/l · 20.8 °Clark · 16.6 °dH · 29.6 °fH
Zone average.
ILFORD (supply zone) · January 2025 to December 2025
Source: Essex & Suffolk Water — dated January 2025 to December 2025, read 28 September 2026
BARKINGSIDE · Essex & Suffolk Water (5 of 1,023 postcodes)
296 mg/l · 20.8 °Clark · 16.6 °dH · 29.6 °fH
Zone average.
BARKINGSIDE (supply zone) · January 2025 to December 2025
Source: Essex & Suffolk Water — dated January 2025 to December 2025, read 28 September 2026
918 postcodes without an identified supply zone
Essex & Suffolk Water (915 of 1,023 postcodes)
We do not have a verified hardness figure for this area. Ask your water company for its water quality report.
Thames Water (3 of 1,023 postcodes)
“all the water in our region is hard”
Thames Water, company-wide · read on 26 September 2026
Source: Thames Water — dated 26 September 2026, read 26 September 2026
Storm overflows nearby
60 overflows within 10 km of IG11 centre · 391 spills in 2025
IG11 (district) · 2025
Source: Environment Agency EDM annual return 2025 — dated 20 August 2026, read 13 October 2026
Overflows here are run by Thames Water.
35 of these were monitored for only part of 2025.
Nearest 5 shown
GASCOIGNE ROAD
Into RIVER RODING(BARKING CREEK) · 1.1 km from the centre of IG11
0 spills · 0 hours · Monitored 99.9% of 2025
FOLKESTONE ROAD
Into RIVER RODING(BARKING CREEK) · 1.4 km from the centre of IG11
11 spills · 40.8 hours · Monitored 100% of 2025
CSO AT OAKENTROUGH
Into RIVER RODING · 1.9 km from the centre of IG11
0 spills · 0 hours · Monitored 100% of 2025
Sunnyside Road
Into LOXFORD WATER · 2.1 km from the centre of IG11
0 spills · 0 hours · Monitored 100% of 2025
BECKTON STW
Into THAMES TIDAL · 2.2 km from the centre of IG11
2 spills · 0.7 hours · Monitored 100% 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
50% built before 1973
50% of homes here were built before 1973 — estimate, not a test.
Homes in the parts of IG11 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.
IG11 (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
General picks — we don't hold your hardness
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 IG11
- Is the water in IG11 hard or soft?
- Essex & Suffolk Water: We do not have a verified hardness figure for this area. Ask your water company for its water quality report. Essex & Suffolk Water: hard, 296 mg/l, 20.8 °Clark, 16.6 °dH, 29.6 °fH (ILFORD (supply zone), January 2025 to December 2025). Zone average. Essex & Suffolk Water: hard, 296 mg/l, 20.8 °Clark, 16.6 °dH, 29.6 °fH (BARKINGSIDE (supply zone), January 2025 to December 2025). Zone average. Thames Water: “all the water in our region is hard” (Thames Water, Thames Water, company-wide, read on 26 September 2026).
- What does the drinking water regulator's record show for IG11?
- Northumbrian, Essex and Suffolk Water group (figures include Essex & Suffolk 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 IG11 have lead pipes?
- 50% of homes here were built before 1973 — estimate, not a test. Homes in the parts of IG11 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 IG11 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
- Essex & Suffolk 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
- Essex & Suffolk Water ↗ · January 2025 to December 2025 · read 28 September 2026
- Essex & Suffolk Water ↗ · January 2025 to December 2025 · read 28 September 2026
- Thames Water ↗ · read on 26 September 2026 · read 26 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
Essex & Suffolk Water, Essex & Suffolk Water, Thames 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