Skip to main content
Waterd — free hydration appGet
💧 TapWaterData
Choose a country: United Kingdom
Menu
Regulator record

PR2 tap water: what's in it?

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.

PR2 tap water quality report · 2026

  • Hardness

    Soft

    Details

    Preston West (supply zone) · 12-month average, updated 25 September 2026; 39 samples

  • Hosepipe ban

    Not available

    Details

    We can't confirm the hosepipe-ban status for United Utilities from the information we hold.

    Check the company's current advice

  • Storm overflows

    89 overflows within 10 km of PR2 centre

    Details

    1,853 spills in 2025

  • Lead pipes

    63% built before 1973

    Details

    Estimate, not a test. Homes in the parts of PR2 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: 62–63%. England and Wales: 61% (2026).

    Ask United Utilities for a free lead test ↗

    Lead test kits

Who supplies water in PR2

Boundary or unplaced: 2 postcodes

Drinking-water test record

United Utilities: 1,789 of 1,791 postcodes

United Utilities

United Utilities, company-wide

Regulator
DWI
Report year
2025
Failed tests
Not shown
Tests
385,673

The regulator's published total and its company rows disagree, so we don't show a count.

Failed tests by parameter
AluminiumFailed tests: 5
E. coli (confirmed)Failed tests: 4
IronFailed tests: 18
LeadFailed tests: 7
ManganeseFailed tests: 7
NickelFailed tests: 3
Total coliforms (confirmed)Failed tests: 13

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 PR2?

Across PR2's supply zones, hardness ranges from 57 mg/l (soft) to 136 mg/l (slightly hard). Those 5 zones cover 96% of its postcodes.

5 identified supply zones in PR2

Preston West · United Utilities (656 of 1,791 postcodes)

84 mg/l · 5.9 °Clark · 4.7 °dH · 8.4 °fH

Soft

Zone average of 39 samples.

Preston West (supply zone) · 12-month average, updated 25 September 2026; 39 samples

Source: United Utilities — dated 12-month average, updated 25 September 2026, read 29 September 2026

Preston Cow Hill · United Utilities (443 of 1,791 postcodes)

82 mg/l · 5.8 °Clark · 4.6 °dH · 8.2 °fH

Soft

Zone average of 44 samples.

Preston Cow Hill (supply zone) · 12-month average, updated 25 September 2026; 44 samples

Source: United Utilities — dated 12-month average, updated 25 September 2026, read 29 September 2026

Preston/Fulwood · United Utilities (304 of 1,791 postcodes)

136 mg/l · 9.5 °Clark · 7.6 °dH · 13.6 °fH

Slightly hard

Zone average of 33 samples.

Preston/Fulwood (supply zone) · 12-month average, updated 25 September 2026; 33 samples

Source: United Utilities — dated 12-month average, updated 25 September 2026, read 29 September 2026

Preston Central · United Utilities (244 of 1,791 postcodes)

85 mg/l · 6.0 °Clark · 4.8 °dH · 8.5 °fH

Soft

Zone average of 34 samples.

Preston Central (supply zone) · 12-month average, updated 25 September 2026; 34 samples

Source: United Utilities — dated 12-month average, updated 25 September 2026, read 29 September 2026

Dilworth · United Utilities (80 of 1,791 postcodes)

57 mg/l · 4.0 °Clark · 3.2 °dH · 5.7 °fH

Soft

Zone average of 31 samples.

Dilworth (supply zone) · 12-month average, updated 25 September 2026; 31 samples

Source: United Utilities — dated 12-month average, updated 25 September 2026, read 29 September 2026

62 postcodes without an identified supply zone

United Utilities (62 of 1,791 postcodes)

We do not have a verified hardness figure for this area. Ask your water company for its water quality report.

Ask your water company

Storm overflows nearby

89 overflows within 10 km of PR2 centre · 1,853 spills in 2025

PR2 (district) · 2025

Source: Environment Agency EDM annual return 2025 — dated 20 August 2026, read 13 October 2026

Overflows here are run by United Utilities.

77 of these were monitored for only part of 2025.

Nearest 5 shown

  1. GARSTANG ROAD BRIDGE CSO 333EH

    Into SAVICK BROOK · 0.3 km from the centre of PR2

    11 spills · 12.8 hours · Monitored 99.5% of 2025

  2. VICTORIA RD CSO 33023

    Into EAVES BROOK · 0.3 km from the centre of PR2

    61 spills · 146 hours · Monitored 99.5% of 2025

  3. SHAROE GREEN HOSPITAL CSO 333JK

    Into SAVICK BROOK · 0.4 km from the centre of PR2

    82 spills · 155.6 hours · Monitored 97.9% of 2025

  4. SHAROE GREEN LANE CSO 33034

    Into SAVICK BROOK · 0.6 km from the centre of PR2

    23 spills · 43.2 hours · Monitored 99.9% of 2025

  5. 75 LOWER BANK ROAD CSO

    Into EAVES BROOK · 0.6 km from the centre of PR2

    0 spills · 0 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

63% built before 1973

63% of homes here were built before 1973 — estimate, not a test.

Homes in the parts of PR2 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: 62–63%. England and Wales: 61% (2026).

Older homes are more likely to have lead pipes. Only a test tells you whether yours does.

PR2 (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.

About fluoride in UK water

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

Fluoride in UK tap water

Hosepipe bans

Get UK hosepipe news

Occasional news on UK hosepipe bans and water restrictions from TapWaterData. Unsubscribe any time.

See our privacy policy.

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)

    reduces 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.

    View Details

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)

    reduces 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.

    View Details

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

Questions about tap water in PR2

Is the water in PR2 hard or soft?
United Utilities: soft, 84 mg/l, 5.9 °Clark, 4.7 °dH, 8.4 °fH (Preston West (supply zone), 12-month average, updated 25 September 2026; 39 samples). Zone average of 39 samples. United Utilities: soft, 82 mg/l, 5.8 °Clark, 4.6 °dH, 8.2 °fH (Preston Cow Hill (supply zone), 12-month average, updated 25 September 2026; 44 samples). Zone average of 44 samples. United Utilities: slightly hard, 136 mg/l, 9.5 °Clark, 7.6 °dH, 13.6 °fH (Preston/Fulwood (supply zone), 12-month average, updated 25 September 2026; 33 samples). Zone average of 33 samples. United Utilities: soft, 85 mg/l, 6.0 °Clark, 4.8 °dH, 8.5 °fH (Preston Central (supply zone), 12-month average, updated 25 September 2026; 34 samples). Zone average of 34 samples. United Utilities: soft, 57 mg/l, 4.0 °Clark, 3.2 °dH, 5.7 °fH (Dilworth (supply zone), 12-month average, updated 25 September 2026; 31 samples). Zone average of 31 samples. United Utilities: We do not have a verified hardness figure for this area. Ask your water company for its water quality report.
What does the drinking water regulator's record show for PR2?
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 PR2 have lead pipes?
63% of homes here were built before 1973 — estimate, not a test. Homes in the parts of PR2 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: 62–63%. 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 PR2 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

United Utilities contact page, United Utilities, United Utilities, United Utilities, United Utilities, United Utilities: 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

Check another postcode

By TapWaterData Editorial

Get the Weekly Water Brief

One email a week on water testing, treatment, and what water-quality data means for your home.

One email a week. Unsubscribe anytime.