WN2 tap water: what's in it?

Who supplies water in WN2

Drinking-water test record

How hard is the water in WN2?

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 WN2

Is the water in WN2 hard or soft?

United Utilities: soft, 20 mg/l, 1.4 °Clark, 1.1 °dH, 2.0 °fH (Wigan South (supply zone), 12-month average, updated 25 September 2026; 30 samples). Zone average of 30 samples. United Utilities: soft, 28 mg/l, 2.0 °Clark, 1.6 °dH, 2.8 °fH (Hindley (supply zone), 12-month average, updated 25 September 2026; 25 samples). Zone average of 25 samples. United Utilities: soft, 22 mg/l, 1.5 °Clark, 1.2 °dH, 2.2 °fH (Wigan North East (supply zone), 12-month average, updated 25 September 2026; 15 samples). Zone average of 15 samples. United Utilities: soft, 21 mg/l, 1.5 °Clark, 1.2 °dH, 2.1 °fH (Leigh (supply zone), 12-month average, updated 25 September 2026; 36 samples). Zone average of 36 samples. United Utilities: soft, 21 mg/l, 1.5 °Clark, 1.2 °dH, 2.1 °fH (Horwich (supply zone), 12-month average, updated 25 September 2026; 25 samples). Zone average of 25 samples. United Utilities: We do not have a verified hardness figure for this area. Ask your water company for its water quality report. United Utilities: soft, 59 mg/l, 4.1 °Clark, 3.3 °dH, 5.9 °fH (Lightshaw (supply zone), 12-month average, updated 25 September 2026; 48 samples). Zone average of 48 samples. United Utilities: soft, 27 mg/l, 1.9 °Clark, 1.5 °dH, 2.7 °fH (Wigan North West (supply zone), 12-month average, updated 25 September 2026; 37 samples). Zone average of 37 samples. United Utilities: soft, 21 mg/l, 1.5 °Clark, 1.2 °dH, 2.1 °fH (Westhoughton (supply zone), 12-month average, updated 25 September 2026; 37 samples). Zone average of 37 samples.

What does the drinking water regulator's record show for WN2?

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 WN2 have lead pipes?

64% of homes here were built before 1973 — estimate, not a test. Homes in the parts of WN2 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: 63–64%. 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 WN2 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.