What is the water quality in my area?

Type your postcode above to find out. Your free report scores your area out of 10 using the latest tests from your water company and the Environment Agency, lists every substance checked and shows which ones came close to, or over, the legal limit. Reports are available for 2,124 postcode districts across the UK.

Is my tap water safe to drink?

Almost always, yes. UK tap water is among the most tested in the world and nearly every sample passes the legal limits. A low score on this site does not mean the water is unsafe. It means some readings sat closer to the limit than in other areas. Your report names those readings, so you can decide whether a filter is worth having.

How do I check water quality by postcode?

Enter the first part of your postcode, such as SW1A or M1, in the search box. You get a report straight away: a score out of 10, the water company that supplies you, how hard your water is, and results for 29 contaminants including lead, PFAS and nitrate. It is free and there is no sign-up.

What is in UK tap water?

Mostly water. The rest is small amounts of minerals such as calcium and magnesium, which make water hard or soft, a trace of chlorine that keeps it clean on the way to your tap, and very low levels of substances picked up from pipes and the environment, such as lead, nitrate or PFAS. Each has a legal limit set well below the level thought to affect health, and your postcode report shows how your area's readings compare.

Check the water quality in your area

A free report for your postcode, built from real drinking-water tests.

Try your postcode — e.g. SW1A, M1, B1

2,124postcode districts with tap-water tests
29contaminants checked against legal limits
September 2026most recent test in the data

Right now the gap runs from IG4 (Redbridge) at 7.0/10 to NE47 (Northumberland) at 9.8/10. Your report shows where your postcode sits, and which readings put it there.

Water quality across the UK

Tap a region to explore water quality data for that area.

Areas to watch

These areas had the most issues in recent water tests.

IG4Redbridge

Coliform Bacteria detected at 1 count/100ml

7.0/10

Redbridge

SE14Lewisham

Coliform Bacteria detected at 2 count/100ml

7.0/10

Lewisham

E2Tower Hamlets

Coliform Bacteria detected at 1 count/100ml

7.0/10

Tower Hamlets

Cleanest water

These areas scored highest in our checks.

NE47Northumberland

No contaminants flagged — 21 tested

9.8/10

Northumberland

TS9North Yorkshire

No contaminants flagged — 8 tested

9.8/10

North Yorkshire

NE48Northumberland

No contaminants flagged — 20 tested

9.8/10

Northumberland

The fixes people actually buy

Of everything we link to, these three are what readers click most: a jug for drinking water, a shower filter for chlorine, and a reverse osmosis unit that needs no plumbing. They are starting points, not a prescription. Check your postcode above and the report tells you what your own water actually needs.

The jug for cleaner drinking water

ZeroWater 12-Cup Ready-Pour

Jug Filter · NSF/ANSI 53, NSF/ANSI 401

Why it fits: NSF-certified to remove PFAS and heavy metals
Includes TDS meter so you can verify performance
5-stage filtration in a simple jug format
Trade-offs: Filters last only 2–3 weeks in hard water areas
Slower pour rate than BRITA — takes 5+ minutes to fill

Typical price

£40approx.

Check current price on Amazon

Affiliate link: we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

For dry skin and hair after a shower

Jolie Filtered Showerhead

Shower Filter

Why it fits: Premium brushed-steel design that looks great in any bathroom
KDF-55 and calcium sulphite media target chlorine and chloramine
Noticeable improvement in hair and skin softness within a week
What it won't do: Won't remove fluoride, PFAS, or heavy metals beyond basic levels

Typical price

£85approx.

Check current price on Amazon

Affiliate link: we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Reverse osmosis without a plumber

Osmio Zero 2.0 Countertop RO

Reverse Osmosis

Why it fits: Plugs into a socket — the only RO here that needs no plumbing, so renters can use it
Wastes 1 litre for every 5 produced, far less than a typical under-sink RO
Dispenses at drinking temperature through to near-boiling, so it replaces the kettle too
Trade-offs: No NSF or WRAS certification stated
Osmio does not publish a filter replacement interval, so annual running cost is unclear

Typical price

£495approx.

Check current price at Osmio

Affiliate link: we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Hard water? Get softener quotes All filters

Affiliate link: we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. How recommendations are funded

Water companies

We track data from all major UK water companies

Thames WaterLondon and Thames Valley15M customers Severn TrentMidlands8M customers United UtilitiesNorth West7M customers Yorkshire WaterYorkshire5M customers Anglian WaterEast of England4.5M customers Southern WaterSouth East4.7M customers

View all companies →

Common questions

What is the water quality in my area?: Type your postcode above to find out. Your free report scores your area out of 10 using the latest tests from your water company and the Environment Agency, lists every substance checked and shows which ones came close to, or over, the legal limit. Reports are available for 2,124 postcode districts across the UK.
Is my tap water safe to drink?: Almost always, yes. UK tap water is among the most tested in the world and nearly every sample passes the legal limits. A low score on this site does not mean the water is unsafe. It means some readings sat closer to the limit than in other areas. Your report names those readings, so you can decide whether a filter is worth having.
How do I check water quality by postcode?: Enter the first part of your postcode, such as SW1A or M1, in the search box. You get a report straight away: a score out of 10, the water company that supplies you, how hard your water is, and results for 29 contaminants including lead, PFAS and nitrate. It is free and there is no sign-up.
What is in UK tap water?: Mostly water. The rest is small amounts of minerals such as calcium and magnesium, which make water hard or soft, a trace of chlorine that keeps it clean on the way to your tap, and very low levels of substances picked up from pipes and the environment, such as lead, nitrate or PFAS. Each has a legal limit set well below the level thought to affect health, and your postcode report shows how your area's readings compare.

Check the water quality in your area

Water quality across the UK

Areas to watch

Cleanest water

The fixes people actually buy

Popular searches

Explore

Recently updated areas

Water companies

Common questions