Skip to main content
tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in DH8, County DurhamSafe to drink.Moderately soft.

Supplied by Northumbrian Water. 3,317 samples, 20 substances, latest on 16 December 2025. Everything is inside the legal limit, and nothing comes close to it.

See the filter we recommendSee everything that was tested

9.3 / 10

The tank is as full as the score. The specks are the minerals that make water hard.

What to do about it

ZeroWater 12-Cup Ready-Pour

ZeroWater 12-Cup Ready-Pour

£40typical price

Households concerned about PFAS and heavy metals

Check price at Amazon (opens in new tab)
Waterdrop 10UA Under Sink

Waterdrop 10UA Under Sink

£70typical price

High-volume under-sink filtration without RO complexity

Check price at Waterdrop (opens in new tab)
BRITA Marella XL + MAXTRA PRO

BRITA Marella XL + MAXTRA PRO

£25typical price

Basic chlorine and taste improvement on a budget

Check price at Amazon (opens in new tab)

We earn a commission if you buy through these links, at no extra cost to you. It never changes which product we put first. How we make money

What's in a glass of DH8 water

Every bubble is a substance the lab measured. The higher it floats, the closer it came to its legal limit, the dashed line at the top.

Fluoride came closest to a limit, at 61% of it. 17 of 18 substances used under a quarter of theirs.

0%25%50%75%limitLegal limitCopper: 0.0014 mg/L, <1% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper<1%Cadmium: 0.000018 mg/L, <1% of the 0.005 mg/L limitCadmium<1%Lead: 0.000065 mg/L, <1% of the 0.01 mg/L limitLead<1%Boron: 0.011 mg/L, 1% of the 1 mg/L limitBoron1%Nitrite: 0.0061 mg/L, 1% of the 0.5 mg/L limitNitrite1%Chromium: 0.00067 mg/L, 1% of the 0.05 mg/L limitChromium1%Arsenic: 0.00015 mg/L, 1% of the 0.01 mg/L limitArsenic1%Manganese: 0.00095 mg/L, 2% of the 0.05 mg/L limitManganese2%Selenium: 0.00083 mg/L, 2% of the 0.04 mg/L limitSelenium2%Nitrate: 1.5 mg/L, 3% of the 50 mg/L limitNitrate3%Antimony: 0.00016 mg/L, 3% of the 0.005 mg/L limitAntimony3%Turbidity: 0.2 NTU, 5% of the 4 NTU limitTurbidity5%Bromate: 0.0005 mg/L, 5% of the 0.01 mg/L limitBromate5%Iron: 0.013 mg/L, 7% of the 0.2 mg/L limitIron7%Nickel: 0.0014 mg/L, 7% of the 0.02 mg/L limitNickel7%Colour: 1.5 mg/L Pt/Co, 8% of the 20 mg/L Pt/Co limitColour8%Aluminium: 0.031 mg/L, 16% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium16%Fluoride: 0.92 mg/L, 61% of the 1.5 mg/L limitFluoride61%
  1. Fluoride61%
  2. Aluminium16%
  3. Colour8%
  4. Nickel7%
  5. Iron7%
  6. Turbidity5%
  7. Bromate5%
  8. Antimony3%
  9. Nitrate3%
  10. Selenium2%
  11. Manganese2%
  12. Arsenic1%
  13. Chromium1%
  14. Nitrite1%
  15. Boron1%
  16. Lead<1%
  17. Cadmium<1%
  18. Copper<1%
  • pH 7.4 pH
  • Conductivity 170 µS/cm
All 20 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Colour1.5 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
8%
Turbidity0.2 NTU4 NTU
5%
pH7.4 pHNo legal limit–
Iron0.013 mg/L0.2 mg/L
7%
Manganese0.00095 mg/L0.05 mg/L
2%
Aluminium0.031 mg/L0.2 mg/L
16%
Conductivity170 µS/cmNo legal limit–
Nitrite0.0061 mg/L0.5 mg/L
1%
Copper0.0014 mg/L2 mg/L
<1%
Bromate0.0005 mg/L0.01 mg/L
5%
Cadmium0.000018 mg/L0.005 mg/L
<1%
Selenium0.00083 mg/L0.04 mg/L
2%
Fluoride0.92 mg/L1.5 mg/L
61%
Chromium0.00067 mg/L0.05 mg/L
1%
Antimony0.00016 mg/L0.005 mg/L
3%
Nitrate1.5 mg/L50 mg/L
3%
Arsenic0.00015 mg/L0.01 mg/L
1%
Boron0.011 mg/L1 mg/L
1%
Nickel0.0014 mg/L0.02 mg/L
7%
Lead0.000065 mg/L0.01 mg/L
<1%

90mg of limescale minerals in every litre

Soft water. Kind to kettles, boilers and skin

You will not need a softener here, and you will use less soap and detergent than most of England.

Soft400 mg/L
Outside your tap

Your river is the Derwent from Burnhope Burn to River Tyne, rated moderate

The Environment Agency rated the Derwent from Burnhope Burn to River Tyne as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It fails the chemical test, as every river, estuary and stretch of coast in England does, because of long-lasting pollutants such as mercury, PFOS (a forever chemical) and old flame retardants.

None of this is a test of your tap water. Environment Agency record · River health across England

DH8 in short

Tap water in DH8 (County Durham) is supplied by Northumbrian Water in the County Durham Central zone and scores 9.3 out of 10, against an England and Wales average of 9.0. None of the 20 tested substances came close to a limit. The latest sample is from 16 December 2025.

  • Every one of the 10 neighbouring districts scores higherDH1 next door scores 9.7, against 9.3 here. Supply zones, not distance, explain the gap. See DH1
  • 19th cleanest of 22 areas tested in County Durham3 areas in County Durham scored lower. The best is DH1 on 9.7.
  • Fluoride is the reading closest to its limit, at 61% of the 1.5 mg/L maximumIt passed with room to spare, and everything else tested sat further below its limit. See every reading

Next door

DH79.4 out of 10 · 85 mg/LDH19.7 out of 10 · 68 mg/LDH39.4 out of 10 · 80 mg/LDL59.7 out of 10 · 115 mg/LDL149.6 out of 10 · 115 mg/LDL169.4 out of 10 · 70 mg/LDH29.4 out of 10 · 80 mg/LDL49.6 out of 10 · 115 mg/LDH99.5 out of 10 · 78 mg/LDL179.7 out of 10 · 70 mg/L

Questions about DH8 water

Is DH8 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, DH8 (County Durham) water scores 9.3/10, which is safe. 0 of 20 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Northumbrian Water.

What contaminants are in DH8 water?

We tested 20 contaminants in DH8 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels.

Who supplies water in DH8?

DH8 (County Durham) is supplied by Northumbrian Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.

Is DH8 water hard or soft?

Water in DH8 (County Durham) has a hardness of 90 mg/L CaCO3, which is classified as moderately soft. This is a moderate hardness level.

Should I use a water filter in DH8?

DH8 water scored 9.3/10 with no contaminants above recommended levels. A filter is optional but can improve taste, especially if you notice a chlorine flavour. See our filter recommendations for your area.

Are there PFAS forever chemicals in DH8 water?

No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for DH8, and the Environment Agency has no PFAS detections in rivers or groundwater within 10 km of it. That reflects where sampling has happened as much as the water itself.

How clean is the river near DH8?

The Environment Agency rated the Derwent from Burnhope Burn to River Tyne as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It fails the chemical test, as every river, estuary and stretch of coast in England does, because of long-lasting pollutants such as mercury, PFOS (a forever chemical) and old flame retardants. This is a rating of the river, not of tap water in DH8, which is treated before it reaches homes.

Keep reading

How to test your waterBest water filtersFilter shower headsWater testing kitsUK water rankingsWater hardness checkerWater hardness map

River and groundwater readings near DH8

Environment Agency samples from rivers, groundwater and reservoirs nearby. Not your tap water. For scale they are shown against drinking water limits; rivers are judged against much stricter environmental standards, and on those every river in England fails for chemicals.

SubstanceReadingDrinking water limit
Lead0.0094 mg/L0.01 mg/L
Manganese0.051 mg/L0.05 mg/L
Iron1.5 mg/L0.2 mg/L
Turbidity10.8 NTU4 NTU
pH8.56 pHNone
Temperature13.8 °CNone
Conductivity203 µS/cmNone
Dissolved Oxygen10.3 mg/LNone
Cadmium0.000086 mg/L0.005 mg/L
Ammonia0.089 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Nitrate0.57 mg/L50 mg/L
Nitrite0.0016 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Phosphate0.0043 mg/LNone
Zinc0.032 mg/LNone
Chromium0.0013 mg/L0.05 mg/L
Nickel0.0042 mg/L0.02 mg/L
Copper0.00007 mg/L2 mg/L

Get alerts for your area

We'll email you when water quality data changes for DH8.

Source: Northumbrian Water test results, published through the Stream Water Data Portal; rivers and PFAS from the Environment Agency. Page updated . How we score · Where the data comes from