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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in DL17, County DurhamSafe to drink.Moderately soft.

Supplied by Northumbrian Water. 2,900 samples, 20 substances, latest on 23 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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High-volume under-sink filtration without RO complexity

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Basic chlorine and taste improvement on a budget

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What's in a glass of DL17 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 15% of it. 18 of 18 substances used under a quarter of theirs.

0%25%50%75%limitLegal limitCopper: 0.0065 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: 0.0094 mg/L, <1% of the 1 mg/L limitBoron<1%Arsenic: 0.0001 mg/L, 1% of the 0.01 mg/L limitArsenic1%Nitrite: 0.0061 mg/L, 1% of the 0.5 mg/L limitNitrite1%Manganese: 0.00065 mg/L, 1% of the 0.05 mg/L limitManganese1%Chromium: 0.00067 mg/L, 1% of the 0.05 mg/L limitChromium1%Selenium: 0.00083 mg/L, 2% of the 0.04 mg/L limitSelenium2%Antimony: 0.00016 mg/L, 3% of the 0.005 mg/L limitAntimony3%Nitrate: 1.7 mg/L, 3% of the 50 mg/L limitNitrate3%Iron: 0.0093 mg/L, 5% of the 0.2 mg/L limitIron5%Nickel: 0.00098 mg/L, 5% of the 0.02 mg/L limitNickel5%Turbidity: 0.2 NTU, 5% of the 4 NTU limitTurbidity5%Bromate: 0.0005 mg/L, 5% of the 0.01 mg/L limitBromate5%Colour: 1.1 mg/L Pt/Co, 6% of the 20 mg/L Pt/Co limitColour6%Aluminium: 0.012 mg/L, 6% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium6%Fluoride: 0.22 mg/L, 15% of the 1.5 mg/L limitFluoride15%
  1. Fluoride15%
  2. Aluminium6%
  3. Colour6%
  4. Turbidity5%
  5. Bromate5%
  6. Nickel5%
  7. Iron5%
  8. Nitrate3%
  9. Antimony3%
  10. Selenium2%
  11. Chromium1%
  12. Manganese1%
  13. Nitrite1%
  14. Arsenic1%
  15. Boron<1%
  16. Lead<1%
  17. Cadmium<1%
  18. Copper<1%
  • pH 7.6 pH
  • Conductivity 160 µS/cm
All 20 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Turbidity0.2 NTU4 NTU
5%
Manganese0.00065 mg/L0.05 mg/L
1%
pH7.6 pHNo legal limit–
Iron0.0093 mg/L0.2 mg/L
5%
Conductivity160 µS/cmNo legal limit–
Colour1.1 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
6%
Aluminium0.012 mg/L0.2 mg/L
6%
Bromate0.0005 mg/L0.01 mg/L
5%
Arsenic0.0001 mg/L0.01 mg/L
1%
Nitrate1.7 mg/L50 mg/L
3%
Boron0.0094 mg/L1 mg/L
<1%
Copper0.0065 mg/L2 mg/L
<1%
Selenium0.00083 mg/L0.04 mg/L
2%
Fluoride0.22 mg/L1.5 mg/L
15%
Chromium0.00067 mg/L0.05 mg/L
1%
Cadmium0.000018 mg/L0.005 mg/L
<1%
Lead0.000065 mg/L0.01 mg/L
<1%
Nitrite0.0061 mg/L0.5 mg/L
1%
Nickel0.00098 mg/L0.02 mg/L
5%
Antimony0.00016 mg/L0.005 mg/L
3%

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 Carrs from Source to Skerne, rated moderate

The Environment Agency rated the Carrs from Source to Skerne as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by dissolved oxygen, insects and other small river life and water plants and algae. 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. Its ecological rating has improved since the previous assessment.

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

DL17 in short

Tap water in DL17 (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 23 December 2025.

  • 6th cleanest of 22 areas tested in County DurhamOnly 5 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 Fluoride at 15% of the 1.5 mg/L maximum. 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/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/LDL149.6 out of 10 · 115 mg/L

Questions about DL17 water

Is DL17 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, DL17 (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 DL17 water?

We tested 20 contaminants in DL17 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels.

Who supplies water in DL17?

DL17 (County Durham) is supplied by Northumbrian Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.

Is DL17 water hard or soft?

Water in DL17 (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 DL17?

DL17 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 DL17 water?

No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for DL17, 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 DL17?

The Environment Agency rated the Carrs from Source to Skerne as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by dissolved oxygen, insects and other small river life and water plants and algae. 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. Its ecological rating has improved since the previous assessment. This is a rating of the river, not of tap water in DL17, 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 DL17

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
pH7.94 pHNone
Temperature4.1 °CNone
Conductivity1351 µS/cmNone
Ammonia0.076 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Nitrate8.1 mg/L50 mg/L
Nitrite0.033 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Phosphate0.21 mg/LNone
Dissolved Oxygen12.2 mg/LNone
Hardness (as CaCO3)149 mg/LNone
Copper0.0052 mg/L2 mg/L
Zinc0.0308 mg/LNone

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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