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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in DL16, County DurhamSafe to drink.Moderately soft.

Supplied by Northumbrian Water. 2,890 samples, 20 substances, latest on 18 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 DL16 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: 0.00095 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%Iron: 0.0093 mg/L, 5% of the 0.2 mg/L limitIron5%Colour: 0.95 mg/L Pt/Co, 5% of the 20 mg/L Pt/Co limitColour5%Bromate: 0.0005 mg/L, 5% of the 0.01 mg/L limitBromate5%Turbidity: 0.21 NTU, 5% of the 4 NTU limitTurbidity5%Nickel: 0.0012 mg/L, 6% of the 0.02 mg/L limitNickel6%Aluminium: 0.027 mg/L, 13% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium13%Fluoride: 0.83 mg/L, 55% of the 1.5 mg/L limitFluoride55%
  1. Fluoride55%
  2. Aluminium13%
  3. Nickel6%
  4. Turbidity5%
  5. Bromate5%
  6. Colour5%
  7. Iron5%
  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%
  • Conductivity 160 µS/cm
  • pH 7.8 pH
All 20 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Manganese0.00095 mg/L0.05 mg/L
2%
Conductivity160 µS/cmNo legal limit–
Colour0.95 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
5%
Turbidity0.21 NTU4 NTU
5%
Iron0.0093 mg/L0.2 mg/L
5%
pH7.8 pHNo legal limit–
Aluminium0.027 mg/L0.2 mg/L
13%
Fluoride0.83 mg/L1.5 mg/L
55%
Selenium0.00083 mg/L0.04 mg/L
2%
Chromium0.00067 mg/L0.05 mg/L
1%
Bromate0.0005 mg/L0.01 mg/L
5%
Nitrate1.5 mg/L50 mg/L
3%
Arsenic0.00015 mg/L0.01 mg/L
1%
Boron0.0086 mg/L1 mg/L
<1%
Cadmium0.000018 mg/L0.005 mg/L
<1%
Nickel0.0012 mg/L0.02 mg/L
6%
Nitrite0.0061 mg/L0.5 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%

70mg 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 Valley Burn from Source to Wear, rated moderate

The Environment Agency rated the Valley Burn from Source to 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 insects and other small river life and phosphate. 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

DL16 in short

Tap water in DL16 (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 18 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
  • 18th cleanest of 22 areas tested in County Durham4 areas in County Durham scored lower. The best is DH1 on 9.7.
  • Moderately soft water at 70 mg/LLittle limescale to speak of in DL16. 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/LDL159.4 out of 10 · 85 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 DL16 water

Is DL16 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, DL16 (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 DL16 water?

We tested 20 contaminants in DL16 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels.

Who supplies water in DL16?

DL16 (County Durham) is supplied by Northumbrian Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.

Is DL16 water hard or soft?

Water in DL16 (County Durham) has a hardness of 70 mg/L CaCO3, which is classified as moderately soft. This is a moderate hardness level.

Should I use a water filter in DL16?

DL16 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 DL16 water?

No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for DL16, 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 DL16?

The Environment Agency rated the Valley Burn from Source to 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 insects and other small river life and phosphate. 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 DL16, 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 DL16

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
pH7.9 pHNone
Temperature9.9 °CNone
Conductivity655 µS/cmNone
Dissolved Oxygen10.3 mg/LNone
Nitrate14 mg/L50 mg/L
Nitrite0.027 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Phosphate0.023 mg/LNone
Ammonia0.038 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Copper0.00009 mg/L2 mg/L
Iron0.0955 mg/L0.2 mg/L
PFAS (total)0.00094 µg/LNone

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We'll email you when water quality data changes for DL16.

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