SR8 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.
SR8 tap water quality report · 2026
Hardness
Hard
Mill Hill Outlet Zone (supply zone) · January 2025 to December 2025
Details
Mill Hill Outlet 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
84 overflows within 10 km of SR8 centre
1,195 spills in 2025
Details
1,195 spills in 2025
Lead pipes
71% built before 1973
Estimate, not a test. Homes in the parts of SR8 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: 71–72%. England and Wales: 61% (2026).
Details
Estimate, not a test. Homes in the parts of SR8 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: 71–72%. England and Wales: 61% (2026).
Who supplies water in SR8
Part of Northumbrian, Essex and Suffolk Water
Supplies 978 of 978 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: 978 of 978 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 SR8?
Across SR8's supply zones, hardness ranges from 175 mg/l (moderately hard) to 391 mg/l (very hard). Those 3 zones cover 86% of its postcodes.
3 identified supply zones in SR8
Mill Hill Outlet Zone · Northumbrian Water (453 of 978 postcodes)
283 mg/l · 19.8 °Clark · 15.8 °dH · 28.3 °fH
Zone average.
Mill Hill Outlet Zone (supply zone) · January 2025 to December 2025
Source: Northumbrian Water — dated January 2025 to December 2025, read 28 September 2026
New Winning & Peterlee Zone · Northumbrian Water (319 of 978 postcodes)
391 mg/l · 27.4 °Clark · 21.9 °dH · 39.1 °fH
Zone average.
New Winning & Peterlee Zone (supply zone) · January 2025 to December 2025
Source: Northumbrian Water — dated January 2025 to December 2025, read 28 September 2026
Wear Valley & Lumley Zone · Northumbrian Water (71 of 978 postcodes)
175 mg/l · 12.3 °Clark · 9.8 °dH · 17.5 °fH
Zone average.
Wear Valley & Lumley Zone (supply zone) · January 2025 to December 2025
Source: Northumbrian Water — dated January 2025 to December 2025, read 28 September 2026
135 postcodes without an identified supply zone
Northumbrian Water (135 of 978 postcodes)
We do not have a verified hardness figure for this area. Ask your water company for its water quality report.
Storm overflows nearby
84 overflows within 10 km of SR8 centre · 1,195 spills in 2025
SR8 (district) · 2025
Source: Environment Agency EDM annual return 2025 — dated 20 August 2026, read 13 October 2026
Overflows here are run by Northumbrian Water.
84 of these were monitored for only part of 2025.
Nearest 5 shown
PARADISE FARM CSO
Into HORDEN BURN · 1.7 km from the centre of SR8
32 spills · 71.4 hours · Monitored 77.4% of 2025
SOUTH EAST VIEW CSO
Into BLACKHILLS GILL · 1.8 km from the centre of SR8
4 spills · 0.9 hours · Monitored 99.8% of 2025
HORDEN DENE SSO NO 1
Into HORDEN BURN/THORPE BURN · 1.9 km from the centre of SR8
14 spills · 10.3 hours · Monitored 49.2% of 2025
BLACKHILLS FARM CSO
Into BLACKHILLS GILL · 1.9 km from the centre of SR8
6 spills · 10.7 hours · Monitored 98.7% of 2025
COTSFORD JUNIOR SCHOOL CSO
Into BLACKHILLS GILL · 1.9 km from the centre of SR8
0 spills · 0 hours · Monitored 99.7% 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
71% built before 1973
71% of homes here were built before 1973 — estimate, not a test.
Homes in the parts of SR8 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: 71–72%. England and Wales: 61% (2026).
Older homes are more likely to have lead pipes. Only a test tells you whether yours does.
SR8 (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 SR8
- Is the water in SR8 hard or soft?
- Northumbrian Water: hard, 283 mg/l, 19.8 °Clark, 15.8 °dH, 28.3 °fH (Mill Hill Outlet Zone (supply zone), January 2025 to December 2025). Zone average. Northumbrian Water: very hard, 391 mg/l, 27.4 °Clark, 21.9 °dH, 39.1 °fH (New Winning & Peterlee 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: moderately hard, 175 mg/l, 12.3 °Clark, 9.8 °dH, 17.5 °fH (Wear Valley & Lumley Zone (supply zone), January 2025 to December 2025). Zone average.
- What does the drinking water regulator's record show for SR8?
- 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 SR8 have lead pipes?
- 71% of homes here were built before 1973 — estimate, not a test. Homes in the parts of SR8 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: 71–72%. 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 SR8 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
- 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, 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