Tap water in the United Kingdom is amongst the safest and highest quality in the world, and the water supplied by Hartlepool Water is no exception.
Every step of the process, from our raw groundwater sources through to the water coming out of customers' taps, is regularly sampled and analysed and we continuously monitor all of our water treatment works and other key sites. In 2008, we carried out more than 9,000 laboratory tests on water from across our region, and our mean zonal compliance was 100 per cent.
For further information on the quality of drinking water supplied to your area, please use our postcode search facility.
Below are some Top Tips for keeping tap water healthy. These will help ensure that the quality of drinking water does not deteriorate once it has left our water mains and entered a customer's premises, and remains at the highest quality for our customers to enjoy.
Top Tips for keeping tap water healthy;
- Regularly clean taps used for drinking water.
- Before you drink - run off any water which has stood in pipework for a period of time. This will help to reduce levels of any common pipework metals such as lead or copper and any tastes and smells.
- Whenever you alter or replace pipework in the home, ensure that you only use approved plumbing materials and an approved plumber. Always follow the manufacturer's installation instruction. Ensure header and other storage tanks have adequate covers, vents and ventilation. For further information, please read our advice on domestic plumbing.
- Ensure there is a non-return valve connected to hoses from dishwashers and washing machines to minimise any TCP tastes and smells.
- Ensure rooms are well ventilated to prevent the build up of black mould around taps and in showers.
- Immediately clean up any fuel spillages, such as petrol or heating oil, on your property to prevent contamination of plastic pipework.
- Ensure hot water pipes are lagged to minimise heating of cold water pipes, as this can lead to water developing a cloudy appearance due to the presence of air bubbles.
- If you have a water softener it is recommended that you always keep a separate mains-fed tap for drinking and cooking, and follow the manufacturers instructions for installation and operation carefully.
- If you use any other form of home filtration or other device for treating tap water, follow the manufacturer's installation and operation advice carefully. For further information, please read our page onhome water treatment. Alternatively, read our Keeping Water Healthy leaflet.
Looking after Water in Your Home
If you have found these details useful, you may like to look at the Water UK publication Looking After Water in Your Home.For further information please contact us or use our postcode search function to see water quality reports for your area.