Though your water supply is essential for living and staying alive, its quality can vary substantially across different regions. As London is a naturally hard water area, in this blog, we’ll look into the factors that can influence these variations and the quality of tap water in London and elsewhere, from natural geological makeup to the effects of human intervention.

Factors affecting water quality

Wherever you’re located in the UK, tap water quality is gauged by a mix of natural and human influences, with geology, climate, urbanisation, and agriculture all making their effects known. 

Coastal areas can have water quality impacted by marine ecosystems and saline levels, while inland areas have plenty of surface water and groundwater sources that can affect the quality. Urban areas, which are more densely populated and industrialised, also have to cope with more pollution and infrastructure issues than lesser-populated rural regions. 

Significantly, in London, alongside these issues, the geological structure of the land beneath our feet makes a big difference to our water quality. The groundwater within vast underground aquifers collects high levels of minerals as it rises to the surface, giving London and South East tap water its harder taste. 

This hardness contrasts with the softer water in much of the Southwest, which doesn't contain such a high mineral content. These differences happen all over the country, each influencing the water quality in that area.

Investing in water quality

Urban areas like London, with a higher population and extensive development, also face much bigger challenges in maintaining water quality standards. Because of the high population, there are higher pollution levels, including contaminants from industrial processes, runoff from urban areas, and sewage discharge. 

On top of this, London’s extended water infrastructure is failing. On average, many pipes are around 60 years old, with the oldest being 150 years old. This issue alone can mean quality drops because of pipe corrosion and leaks. However, that’s not to say the quality of tap water in London is bad for you. It isn't. 

Thames Water carries out continuous and thorough water treatment processes and tests to ensure the safety, quality, and purity of the tap water. In fact, the supplier has just announced that it will invest £400 million to future-proof its water supply.

Great tasting water from Thirsty Work

Regardless of where you live, regular water quality testing by all water suppliers is essential to finding issues quickly and ensuring safe drinking water through your taps. Whether you live in a hard water city or town or a more soft water rural area, when you ask, ‘What’s the water quality in my area?’ a combination of all these things determines the health and quality of your water sources.

But if your tap water quality isn't to your taste, an alternative is installing a mains-fed or bottled water cooler from Thirsty Work in your home or business. Delivering fully filtered water – either through our advanced filtration systems that remove all contaminants and odours or our naturally filtered, pure spring water – each option gives you great-tasting water to keep you healthy and hydrated.

To learn more about our range of water coolers, contact our customer service team today at 0208 049 8501 or email hello@thirstywork.com. You can get your free quote or start your 10-day free trial with a water cooler from our London depot.