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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in DL5, County DurhamSafe to drink.Moderately soft.

Supplied by Northumbrian Water. 2,633 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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Basic chlorine and taste improvement on a budget

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What's in a glass of DL5 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.

Iron came closest to a limit, at 19% of it. 18 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: 0.01 mg/L, <1% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper<1%Arsenic: 0.000061 mg/L, <1% of the 0.01 mg/L limitArsenic<1%Lead: 0.000065 mg/L, <1% of the 0.01 mg/L limitLead<1%Boron: 0.0093 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%Manganese: 0.00079 mg/L, 2% of the 0.05 mg/L limitManganese2%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%Turbidity: 0.21 NTU, 5% of the 4 NTU limitTurbidity5%Nickel: 0.0012 mg/L, 6% of the 0.02 mg/L limitNickel6%Colour: 1.7 mg/L Pt/Co, 9% of the 20 mg/L Pt/Co limitColour9%Aluminium: 0.027 mg/L, 13% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium13%Iron: 0.039 mg/L, 19% of the 0.2 mg/L limitIron19%
  1. Iron19%
  2. Aluminium13%
  3. Colour9%
  4. Nickel6%
  5. Turbidity5%
  6. Bromate5%
  7. Antimony3%
  8. Nitrate3%
  9. Fluoride3%
  10. Selenium2%
  11. Manganese2%
  12. Chromium1%
  13. Nitrite1%
  14. Boron<1%
  15. Lead<1%
  16. Arsenic<1%
  17. Copper<1%
  18. Cadmium<1%
  • pH 7.7 pH
  • Conductivity 150 µS/cm
All 20 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Aluminium0.027 mg/L0.2 mg/L
13%
Colour1.7 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
9%
Manganese0.00079 mg/L0.05 mg/L
2%
pH7.7 pHNo legal limit–
Turbidity0.21 NTU4 NTU
5%
Conductivity150 µS/cmNo legal limit–
Iron0.039 mg/L0.2 mg/L
19%
Bromate0.0005 mg/L0.01 mg/L
5%
Arsenic0.000061 mg/L0.01 mg/L
<1%
Nitrate1.5 mg/L50 mg/L
3%
Boron0.0093 mg/L1 mg/L
<1%
Copper0.01 mg/L2 mg/L
<1%
Selenium0.00083 mg/L0.04 mg/L
2%
Fluoride0.038 mg/L1.5 mg/L
3%
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%
Nickel0.0012 mg/L0.02 mg/L
6%
Antimony0.00016 mg/L0.005 mg/L
3%

115mg 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 Woodham Burn from Source to Rushyford beck, rated moderate

The Environment Agency rated the Woodham Burn from Source to Rushyford beck 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, water plants and algae 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. 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

DL5 in short

Tap water in DL5 (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.

  • 7th cleanest of 22 areas tested in County DurhamOnly 6 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 Iron at 19% of the 0.2 mg/L maximum. See every reading

Next door

DH89.3 out of 10 · 90 mg/LDH29.4 out of 10 · 80 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/LDL169.4 out of 10 · 70 mg/L

Questions about DL5 water

Is DL5 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, DL5 (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 DL5 water?

We tested 20 contaminants in DL5 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels.

Who supplies water in DL5?

DL5 (County Durham) is supplied by Northumbrian Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.

Is DL5 water hard or soft?

Water in DL5 (County Durham) has a hardness of 115 mg/L CaCO3, which is classified as moderately soft. This is a moderate hardness level.

Should I use a water filter in DL5?

DL5 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 DL5 water?

No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for DL5, 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 DL5?

The Environment Agency rated the Woodham Burn from Source to Rushyford beck 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, water plants and algae 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. Its ecological rating has improved since the previous assessment. This is a rating of the river, not of tap water in DL5, 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 DL5

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
pH7.56 pHNone
Temperature8.5 °CNone
Conductivity1392 µS/cmNone
Ammonia0.061 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Nitrate7.6 mg/L50 mg/L
Nitrite0.024 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Phosphate0.19 mg/LNone
Dissolved Oxygen9.12 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