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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in DL15, County DurhamSafe to drink.Moderately soft.

Supplied by Northumbrian Water. 3,326 samples, 20 substances, latest on 19 December 2025. Everything is inside the legal limit, and nothing comes close to it.

See the filter we recommendSee everything that was tested

9.4 / 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 DL15 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 55% of it. 17 of 18 substances used under a quarter of theirs.

0%25%50%75%limitLegal limitCadmium: 0.000018 mg/L, <1% of the 0.005 mg/L limitCadmium<1%Copper: 0.0086 mg/L, <1% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper<1%Lead: 0.000065 mg/L, <1% of the 0.01 mg/L limitLead<1%Boron: 0.0086 mg/L, <1% of the 1 mg/L limitBoron<1%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: 0.00084 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: 0.012 mg/L, 6% of the 0.2 mg/L limitIron6%Colour: 1.2 mg/L Pt/Co, 6% of the 20 mg/L Pt/Co limitColour6%Nickel: 0.0012 mg/L, 6% of the 0.02 mg/L limitNickel6%Aluminium: 0.034 mg/L, 17% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium17%Fluoride: 0.83 mg/L, 55% of the 1.5 mg/L limitFluoride55%
  1. Fluoride55%
  2. Aluminium17%
  3. Iron6%
  4. Colour6%
  5. Nickel6%
  6. Turbidity5%
  7. Bromate5%
  8. Antimony3%
  9. Nitrate3%
  10. Selenium2%
  11. Manganese2%
  12. Arsenic1%
  13. Chromium1%
  14. Nitrite1%
  15. Boron<1%
  16. Lead<1%
  17. Copper<1%
  18. Cadmium<1%
  • pH 7.4 pH
  • Conductivity 160 µS/cm
All 20 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Manganese0.00084 mg/L0.05 mg/L
2%
pH7.4 pHNo legal limit–
Aluminium0.034 mg/L0.2 mg/L
17%
Iron0.012 mg/L0.2 mg/L
6%
Conductivity160 µS/cmNo legal limit–
Turbidity0.2 NTU4 NTU
5%
Colour1.2 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
6%
Nitrite0.0061 mg/L0.5 mg/L
1%
Nickel0.0012 mg/L0.02 mg/L
6%
Fluoride0.83 mg/L1.5 mg/L
55%
Arsenic0.00015 mg/L0.01 mg/L
1%
Selenium0.00083 mg/L0.04 mg/L
2%
Bromate0.0005 mg/L0.01 mg/L
5%
Nitrate1.5 mg/L50 mg/L
3%
Cadmium0.000018 mg/L0.005 mg/L
<1%
Boron0.0086 mg/L1 mg/L
<1%
Antimony0.00016 mg/L0.005 mg/L
3%
Copper0.0086 mg/L2 mg/L
<1%
Lead0.000065 mg/L0.01 mg/L
<1%
Chromium0.00067 mg/L0.05 mg/L
1%

85mg 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 Beechburn Beck (Trib of Wear), rated moderate

The Environment Agency rated the Beechburn Beck (Trib of Wear) as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by fish. 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

DL15 in short

Tap water in DL15 (County Durham) is supplied by Northumbrian Water in the County Durham Central zone and scores 9.4 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 19 December 2025.

  • Fluoride is the reading closest to its limit, at 55% of the 1.5 mg/L maximumIt passed with room to spare, and everything else tested sat further below its limit. See every reading
  • 17th cleanest of 22 areas tested in County Durham5 areas in County Durham scored lower. The best is DH1 on 9.7.
  • Moderately soft water at 85 mg/LLittle limescale to speak of in DL15. A softener would be money wasted. How hardness is measured

Next door

DH79.4 out of 10 · 85 mg/LDH19.7 out of 10 · 68 mg/LDH39.4 out of 10 · 80 mg/LDL49.6 out of 10 · 115 mg/LDH99.5 out of 10 · 78 mg/LDL139.7 out of 10 · 85 mg/LDL169.4 out of 10 · 70 mg/LDL59.7 out of 10 · 115 mg/LDH29.4 out of 10 · 80 mg/LDL179.7 out of 10 · 70 mg/L

Questions about DL15 water

Is DL15 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, DL15 (County Durham) water scores 9.4/10, which is safe. 0 of 20 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by Northumbrian Water.

What contaminants are in DL15 water?

We tested 20 contaminants in DL15 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels.

Who supplies water in DL15?

DL15 (County Durham) is supplied by Northumbrian Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.

Is DL15 water hard or soft?

Water in DL15 (County Durham) has a hardness of 85 mg/L CaCO3, which is classified as moderately soft. This is a moderate hardness level.

Should I use a water filter in DL15?

DL15 water scored 9.4/10 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 DL15 water?

No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for DL15, 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 DL15?

The Environment Agency rated the Beechburn Beck (Trib of Wear) as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by fish. 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 DL15, 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 DL15

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
Manganese0.0688 mg/L0.05 mg/L
pH8.23 pHNone
Temperature4.8 °CNone
Conductivity524 µS/cmNone
Nitrate2.5 mg/L50 mg/L
Phosphate0.056 mg/LNone
Dissolved Oxygen13.1 mg/LNone
Ammonia0.034 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Lead0.00237 mg/L0.01 mg/L
Cadmium0.000031 mg/L0.005 mg/L
Hardness (as CaCO3)135 mg/LNone
Zinc0.00904 mg/LNone
Nickel0.000989 mg/L0.02 mg/L
Aluminium0.0173 mg/L0.2 mg/L

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We'll email you when water quality data changes for DL15.

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