In a 2020 survey we asked over 500 people across the UK to rank the taste and quality of the tap water where they live. This is what people said.
Best in order of ranking:
- Scotland
- South West (Bristol)
- Yorkshire and the Humber (Leeds)
- North Ireland (Belfast)
- Wales (Cardiff)
Worst in order of ranking:
- East of England (Norwich)
- East Midlands (Leicester)
- South East (Southampton)
- Greater London (London)
- West Midlands (Birmingham)
Notes/comments about the ranking:
- The ranking is based on people’s opinions of taste and quality and not actual water quality. At the time of the survey all regions met the government requirements of drinkable tap water. Therefore it’s difficult to state objectively what the best or worst tap water is.
- Cities within brackets represents the majority of respondents to the survey in each region.
- Many of the regions have multiple water sources so water quality could differ across the region.
- Bad taste is usually attributable to chlorine or high levels of minerals (often causing limescale). This is aesthetic rather than water quality.
We also observed that 56% of Londoners think bottled water is healthier than tap water vs 21% in Scotland and North East.
At TAPP Water we believe everyone should have access to clean tasty tap water at an affordable cost in an environmentally friendly way. #jointhetapprevolution at tappwater.co
Read more about tap water in London and the rest of the UK and best water filters for the UK.
Do you agree / disagree with the ranking? Comment below!
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11 thoughts on “Where’s the best and worst tap water in the UK?”
Yo see all them foreign Muppets buying trolley loads of bottled water at the supermarket because they think the tap water in the UK is Unsafe and undrinkable .. cheeky Runts
Oh no! they help the economy, annoying foreigners who spend money!!
I’m pretty sure that’s racist Ronn.
It’s 100% racist with the “runts” on the end confirming it, & has little to do with water quality as i’m pretty sure there’s just as many non foreign people doing the same
I’m sure fluoride and chlorine isn’t good for the body which is added to the water supply , fluoride maybe good for your teeth , but you get fluoride in tooth paste , but it isn’t any good for the body , I’m not sure about chlorine . can there be any independent research into that .
Oh and yes RONN is behaving like a racist idiot who needs to grow up and stop behaving like an idiot .
Thanks for your comment. See point 3 and additional data on fluoride in this blog:
https://tappwater.co/en/13-myths-and-facts-about-drinking-water/
However, there is definitely evidence that chlorine bi-products such as THMs are bad for human health. Therefore a water filter removing them is highly recomended.
The TAPP Team
Water very good, Ronn bad!
Levels of chlorine in domestic water in the same Southampton is very high,and this is for 13.07.2020.No wonder foreigns are buying bottled water.
There’s a direct correlation between racist comments and stupid comments.
It’s not exactly a survey you can rely on. For starters, it’s completely based on the opinions of people who are likely to have only tasted the water in their own region and perhaps a couple more and whom none are likely to have tasted in every region. before you mention the complete lack of science involved.
Fair point. Scientifically it’s difficult to state what is the best and worst tap water.
But the basic criteria would be based on
a) taste
b) chlorination – low/no chlorination is typically preferred as long as the water is still safe to drink
c) regulated standard – are all substances within the regulated standards by the UK, EU and WHO?
d) mineral content – generally it’s a plus for your health if the water has high mineral content but this often negatively impacts taste
As 99.9% of the public tap water in the UK adheres to regulated safety standards of tap water the only variable we can really assess is taste and the need for chlorination which are associated.
Will see how we can improve this article.
Thanks
The TAPP Water Team