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Regulator record

WN5 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.

WN5 tap water quality report · 2026

  • Hardness

    Soft

    Details

    Ashton (supply zone) · 12-month average, updated 25 September 2026; 49 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

    116 overflows within 10 km of WN5 centre

    Details

    2,344 spills in 2025

  • Lead pipes

    78% built before 1973

    Details

    Estimate, not a test. Homes in the parts of WN5 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: 77–78%. England and Wales: 61% (2026).

    Ask United Utilities for a free lead test ↗

    Lead test kits

Who supplies water in WN5

Drinking-water test record

United Utilities: 936 of 936 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 WN5?

59% of WN5's postcodes are in the Ashton supply zone (United Utilities): 62 mg/l, soft.

Ashton · United Utilities (554 of 936 postcodes)

62 mg/l · 4.3 °Clark · 3.5 °dH · 6.2 °fH

Soft

Zone average of 49 samples.

Ashton (supply zone) · 12-month average, updated 25 September 2026; 49 samples

Source: United Utilities — dated 12-month average, updated 25 September 2026, read 30 September 2026

5 identified supply zones in WN5

Ashton · United Utilities (554 of 936 postcodes)

62 mg/l · 4.3 °Clark · 3.5 °dH · 6.2 °fH

Soft

Zone average of 49 samples.

Ashton (supply zone) · 12-month average, updated 25 September 2026; 49 samples

Source: United Utilities — dated 12-month average, updated 25 September 2026, read 30 September 2026

Wigan North West · United Utilities (180 of 936 postcodes)

27 mg/l · 1.9 °Clark · 1.5 °dH · 2.7 °fH

Soft

Zone average of 37 samples.

Wigan North West (supply zone) · 12-month average, updated 25 September 2026; 37 samples

Source: United Utilities — dated 12-month average, updated 25 September 2026, read 30 September 2026

Lightshaw · United Utilities (139 of 936 postcodes)

59 mg/l · 4.1 °Clark · 3.3 °dH · 5.9 °fH

Soft

Zone average of 48 samples.

Lightshaw (supply zone) · 12-month average, updated 25 September 2026; 48 samples

Source: United Utilities — dated 12-month average, updated 25 September 2026, read 30 September 2026

Skelmersdale Higher · United Utilities (39 of 936 postcodes)

230 mg/l · 16.1 °Clark · 12.9 °dH · 23.0 °fH

Hard

Zone average of 29 samples.

Skelmersdale Higher (supply zone) · 12-month average, updated 25 September 2026; 29 samples

Source: United Utilities — dated 12-month average, updated 25 September 2026, read 30 September 2026

St Helens North · United Utilities (18 of 936 postcodes)

81 mg/l · 5.7 °Clark · 4.5 °dH · 8.1 °fH

Soft

Zone average of 50 samples.

St Helens North (supply zone) · 12-month average, updated 25 September 2026; 50 samples

Source: United Utilities — dated 12-month average, updated 25 September 2026, read 30 September 2026

6 postcodes without an identified supply zone

United Utilities (6 of 936 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

116 overflows within 10 km of WN5 centre · 2,344 spills in 2025

WN5 (district) · 2025

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

Overflows here are run by United Utilities.

98 of these were monitored for only part of 2025.

Nearest 5 shown

  1. LODGE RD, ORRELL(M.H. A4)

    Into Smithy Brook · 1.3 km from the centre of WN5

    63 spills · 148.3 hours · Monitored 99.5% of 2025

  2. BILLINGE HIGHER END SPS

    Into SMITHY BROOK · 1.3 km from the centre of WN5

    4 spills · 1.7 hours · Monitored 100% of 2025

  3. WINSTANLEY ROAD PUMPING STATION

    Into SMITHY BROOK · 1.3 km from the centre of WN5

    1 spill · 0.9 hours · Monitored 100% of 2025

  4. 184 WARRINGTON ROAD CSO

    Into TRIB OF RIVER DOUGLAS VIA SWS · 2.2 km from the centre of WN5

    0 spills · 0 hours · Monitored 100% of 2025

  5. GREENWOOD AVENUE CSO

    Into CLOSE BROOK · 2.3 km from the centre of WN5

    49 spills · 118.7 hours · Monitored 81.6% 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

78% built before 1973

78% of homes here were built before 1973 — estimate, not a test.

Homes in the parts of WN5 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: 77–78%. England and Wales: 61% (2026).

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

WN5 (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

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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 WN5

Is the water in WN5 hard or soft?
United Utilities: soft, 62 mg/l, 4.3 °Clark, 3.5 °dH, 6.2 °fH (Ashton (supply zone), 12-month average, updated 25 September 2026; 49 samples). Zone average of 49 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, 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: hard, 230 mg/l, 16.1 °Clark, 12.9 °dH, 23.0 °fH (Skelmersdale Higher (supply zone), 12-month average, updated 25 September 2026; 29 samples). Zone average of 29 samples. United Utilities: soft, 81 mg/l, 5.7 °Clark, 4.5 °dH, 8.1 °fH (St Helens North (supply zone), 12-month average, updated 25 September 2026; 50 samples). Zone average of 50 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 WN5?
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 WN5 have lead pipes?
78% of homes here were built before 1973 — estimate, not a test. Homes in the parts of WN5 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: 77–78%. 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 WN5 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

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