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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in DL11, County DurhamSafe to drink.Moderately soft.

Supplied by Northumbrian Water. 791 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

9.7 / 10

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

What to do about it

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Basic chlorine and taste improvement on a budget

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What's in a glass of DL11 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.

Turbidity came closest to a limit, at 14% of it. 18 of 18 substances used under a quarter of theirs.

0%25%50%75%limitLegal limitCopper: 0.0016 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%Manganese: 0.00037 mg/L, <1% of the 0.05 mg/L limitManganese<1%Boron: 0.01 mg/L, 1% of the 1 mg/L limitBoron1%Chromium: 0.00067 mg/L, 1% of the 0.05 mg/L limitChromium1%Nitrite: 0.0081 mg/L, 2% of the 0.5 mg/L limitNitrite2%Nickel: 0.00036 mg/L, 2% of the 0.02 mg/L limitNickel2%Arsenic: 0.0002 mg/L, 2% of the 0.01 mg/L limitArsenic2%Selenium: 0.00083 mg/L, 2% of the 0.04 mg/L limitSelenium2%Fluoride: 0.038 mg/L, 3% of the 1.5 mg/L limitFluoride3%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%Bromate: 0.0005 mg/L, 5% of the 0.01 mg/L limitBromate5%Colour: 1.8 mg/L Pt/Co, 9% of the 20 mg/L Pt/Co limitColour9%Aluminium: 0.02 mg/L, 10% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium10%Iron: 0.024 mg/L, 12% of the 0.2 mg/L limitIron12%Turbidity: 0.58 NTU, 14% of the 4 NTU limitTurbidity14%
  1. Turbidity14%
  2. Iron12%
  3. Aluminium10%
  4. Colour9%
  5. Bromate5%
  6. Antimony3%
  7. Nitrate3%
  8. Fluoride3%
  9. Selenium2%
  10. Arsenic2%
  11. Nickel2%
  12. Nitrite2%
  13. Chromium1%
  14. Boron1%
  15. Manganese<1%
  16. Lead<1%
  17. Cadmium<1%
  18. Copper<1%
  • pH 7.9 pH
  • Conductivity 190 µS/cm
All 20 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Bromate0.0005 mg/L0.01 mg/L
5%
Boron0.01 mg/L1 mg/L
1%
Colour1.8 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
9%
pH7.9 pHNo legal limit–
Chromium0.00067 mg/L0.05 mg/L
1%
Selenium0.00083 mg/L0.04 mg/L
2%
Cadmium0.000018 mg/L0.005 mg/L
<1%
Nickel0.00036 mg/L0.02 mg/L
2%
Copper0.0016 mg/L2 mg/L
<1%
Nitrate1.5 mg/L50 mg/L
3%
Lead0.000065 mg/L0.01 mg/L
<1%
Arsenic0.0002 mg/L0.01 mg/L
2%
Conductivity190 µS/cmNo legal limit–
Manganese0.00037 mg/L0.05 mg/L
<1%
Turbidity0.58 NTU4 NTU
14%
Antimony0.00016 mg/L0.005 mg/L
3%
Iron0.024 mg/L0.2 mg/L
12%
Fluoride0.038 mg/L1.5 mg/L
3%
Aluminium0.02 mg/L0.2 mg/L
10%
Nitrite0.0081 mg/L0.5 mg/L
2%

116mg of limescale minerals in every litre, typical for the DL area. DL11 has no reading of its own.

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 Marske Beck from Source to River Swale, rated moderate

The Environment Agency rated the Marske Beck from Source to River Swale as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by specific pollutants. 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

DL11 in short

Tap water in DL11 (County Durham) is supplied by Northumbrian Water in the County Durham Central zone and scores 9.7 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.

  • 3rd cleanest of 22 areas tested in County DurhamOnly 2 areas in County Durham scored higher. The best is DH1 on 9.7.
  • 0.7 points above the national average of 9Cleaner than the typical tested district in the UK. Compare every area
  • Nothing tested came within 40% of its legal limitThe highest was Turbidity at 14% of the 4 NTU maximum. See every reading

Next door

DH89.3 out of 10 · 90 mg/LDH29.4 out of 10 · 80 mg/LDL59.7 out of 10 · 115 mg/LDL139.7 out of 10 · 85 mg/LDH69.7 out of 10 · 480 mg/LDL159.4 out of 10 · 85 mg/LDL179.7 out of 10 · 70 mg/LDH39.4 out of 10 · 80 mg/LDH79.4 out of 10 · 85 mg/LDL149.6 out of 10 · 115 mg/L

Questions about DL11 water

Is DL11 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, DL11 (County Durham) water scores 9.7/10, which is safe. 0 of 20 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Northumbrian Water.

What contaminants are in DL11 water?

We tested 20 contaminants in DL11 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels.

Who supplies water in DL11?

DL11 (County Durham) is supplied by Northumbrian Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.

Is DL11 water hard or soft?

No hardness reading has been published for DL11 itself. Across the DL postcode area the typical value is 116 mg/L CaCO3, which is classified as moderately soft. This is a moderate hardness level.

Should I use a water filter in DL11?

DL11 water scored 9.7/10 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 DL11 water?

No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for DL11, 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 DL11?

The Environment Agency rated the Marske Beck from Source to River Swale as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by specific pollutants. 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 DL11, 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 DL11

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
Lead0.31 mg/L0.01 mg/L
Cadmium0.01 mg/L0.005 mg/L
pH7.8 pHNone
Temperature9.8 °CNone
Conductivity295 µS/cmNone
Hardness (as CaCO3)121 mg/LNone
Zinc1 mg/LNone
Nickel0.0027 mg/L0.02 mg/L
Copper0.0015 mg/L2 mg/L
Iron0.044 mg/L0.2 mg/L
Aluminium0.029 mg/L0.2 mg/L
Ammonia0.031 mg/L0.5 mg/L

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We'll email you when water quality data changes for DL11.

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