IP13 tap water: what's in it?

Who supplies water in IP13

Drinking-water test record

How hard is the water in IP13?

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 IP13

Is the water in IP13 hard or soft?

Essex & Suffolk Water: very hard, 479 mg/l, 33.6 °Clark, 26.8 °dH, 47.9 °fH (WALPOLE (supply zone), January 2025 to December 2025). Zone average. Anglian Water: at least hard, at least 281 mg/l, at least 19.7 °Clark, at least 15.7 °dH, at least 28.1 °fH (Ipswich East PWSZ (supply zone), January 2025 to December 2025). Zone average. At least 281 mg/l (hard or harder); total hardness is higher. Anglian Water: at least very hard, at least 492 mg/l, at least 34.5 °Clark, at least 27.6 °dH, at least 49.2 °fH (Pettistree PWSZ (supply zone), January 2025 to December 2025). Zone average. At least 492 mg/l (very hard or harder); total hardness is higher. 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: very hard, 444 mg/l, 31.2 °Clark, 24.9 °dH, 44.4 °fH (SAXMUNDHAM (supply zone), January 2025 to December 2025). Zone average. Anglian Water: We do not have a verified hardness figure for this area. Ask your water company for its water quality report. Anglian Water: at least very hard, at least 419 mg/l, at least 29.4 °Clark, at least 23.5 °dH, at least 41.9 °fH (Stowmarket PWSZ (supply zone), January 2025 to December 2025). Zone average. At least 419 mg/l (very hard or harder); total hardness is higher. Anglian Water: at least hard, at least 281 mg/l, at least 19.7 °Clark, at least 15.8 °dH, at least 28.1 °fH (Rushmere Rural PWSZ (supply zone), January 2025 to December 2025). Zone average. At least 281 mg/l (hard or harder); total hardness is higher.

What does the drinking water regulator's record show for IP13?

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 IP13 have lead pipes?

54% of homes here were built before 1973 — estimate, not a test. Homes in the parts of IP13 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: 53–55%. 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 IP13 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.