When you pour yourself a glass of tap water, you might not think twice about what’s in it - but did you know the quality and composition of tap water varies dramatically depending on where in the country you live?
At Doulton Water Filters, we’re passionate about clean, safe, and great-tasting water, that’s why we’ve taken a deep dive into the data to uncover what’s really flowing through the taps in your region.
The data presented below was compiled through an analysis of water quality reports from across the country. Using official sources provided by regional water suppliers, we examined the levels of naturally occurring chemicals such as calcium, fluoride and lead concentrations with averages calculated at the county level to provide a clear picture of regional trends.
Joy Delaney, our NPD & Technical Director, says: "The water flowing from our taps provides a fascinating insight into the unique geology and infrastructure of our region. By analysing this data, we can better understand what’s in our water, enabling us to make informed decisions to improve its quality and protect the health of us and our households."
Water Hardness
Water hardness is the measure of calcium and magnesium in tap water. It is one of the most noticeable differences across the UK with calcium levels varying quite significantly from region to region.
While hard water is safe to drink, it can cause limescale build-up in appliances and leave your hair and skin feeling dry. If you live in an area with hard water, using water filters such as our Limescale Reduction Cartridge or Biotect UltraSI can help to alleviate the effects of calcium and magnesium found in your water.
According to our research, Greater Manchester enjoys the softest water in the UK, with just 9.25 mg/L of calcium, followed by Lancashire at 11.9 mg/L and Cornwall at 18 mg/L. Having soft water can allow better lathering with soap and can help skin and hair to feel softer and smoother.
Greater London tops the charts for hardness at 267 mg/L, followed by Northumberland with 160 mg/L and Suffolk with 156 mg/L. According to Anglian Water, the provider for Suffolk, the hardness of water in the area is due to ‘minerals that are present because of the geology of the landscape in the east of England. The ground contains rocks with a high chalk or limestone (calcium carbonate) content and this dissolves as water moves through it.
Lead Levels in Your Water
Whilst lead pipes have now been banned across the UK (and have been since 1970), some areas with older infrastructure do still have lead pipes which can lead to higher levels of the chemical within tap water. In the UK, the average lead concentration is 0.77 μg/L, but our research shows that some areas exceed this.
Typically, when water leaves the treatment works, it's lead free but lead can end up in your tap water if it's left standing in old lead pipework. Norfolk with 2.45 μg/L has higher lead levels on average compared to other places in the country due to a comparatively high number of older properties.
Regions including North Yorkshire and Devon report very low lead levels on average - this could be due to the fact that this area uses mostly new pipework.
As well as using a water filter, one way to minimise the amount of lead in tap water in a property with old pipes is to run the tap for a few minutes before using the water for drinking or cooking to flush out any stagnant water that may contain lead.
Fluoride Levels and Dental Health
Fluoride is added to tap water by some suppliers to help promote dental health as it contains properties that can help to minimise tooth decay. While some counties have little to no fluoride, others report significantly higher levels.
In the UK, the decision to fluoridate water is made at the local or regional level, and it is not universally implemented across the entire country. The legal limit for fluoride in tap water in the UK is 1.5 milligrams per litre.
Lincolnshire leads the way with the highest fluoride concentration in the country at 0.93 mg/L, closely followed by Northumberland at 0.91 mg/L and Warwickshire at 0.82 mg/L.
In contrast to these areas, Buckinghamshire is reported to have the lowest detectable fluoride levels with 0.05 mg/L, while South Yorkshire has 0.05 mg/L and Gloucestershire has an average of 0.08 mg/L. While these counties fall below the highest fluoridated regions, they still provide a level of fluoride that can contribute to dental health.
Joy adds, “Whether your tap water is hard or soft, has added fluoride or has detectable lead levels, it’s important to understand what is coming out of your taps. Whilst tap water across the country does meet safety standards, understanding its composition allows you to make decisions about filtration and treatment - helping you to choose the right option for you and your household.”
Methodology
The data was compiled through an analysis of water quality reports from across England that are publicly available via the official websites of each water provider. We examined the levels of naturally occurring chemicals such as calcium, fluoride and lead concentrations with averages calculated at the county level to provide a clear picture of regional trends. Where chemical levels were not publicly reported, we used an average for the whole region to calculate the water hardness.
