Can Babies Drink Tap Water? Formula, Pregnancy and What UK Parents Should Know
Updated: 1 day ago
Last reviewed: September 2026
Quick answer Can babies drink tap water? Yes. For most UK homes on mains water, tap water is the right water for pregnancy and for making up baby formula — the NHS recommends fresh tap water, boiled, and used while it's still at least 70°C. Extra care is needed in three situations: older homes that may have lead pipes, private water supplies (where bacteria and nitrate matter most), and softened water, which shouldn't be used for formula. This guide explains each, and when a test is worth doing. It isn't medical advice — talk to your midwife, health visitor or GP about your own situation.
Living in an older home? If your home was built before about 1970, a first-draw Lead Test is a sensible check — ideally before the baby arrives.
Making up formula: what the NHS says
The NHS guidance on making up formula is specific about the water:
Use fresh tap water. "Fill the kettle with at least 1 litre of fresh tap water (do not use water that has been boiled before)."
Use it hot. "Then leave the water to cool for no more than 30 minutes, so that it remains at a temperature of at least 70C." The NHS explains: "Water at 70C or more will kill any harmful bacteria."
Don't use softened water. "Do not use artificially softened water or water that has been boiled before."
Bottled water isn't the default. "Bottled water is not usually recommended for making up infant formula feeds for your baby. This is because it's not sterile and may contain too much salt (sodium) or sulphate." The NHS adds that "in rare circumstances, such as when drinking water is unavailable or has been contaminated, you can use bottled water to make up infant formula feeds."
Always follow the full NHS instructions and the instructions on the formula packet.
When can babies drink tap water?
The NHS guidance on drinks for babies says:
"Fully breastfed babies do not need any water until they've started eating solid foods."
"Formula fed babies under 6 months of age may need small sips of cooled boiled water during hot weather as well as their usual milk feeds."
"Once your baby has started to eat solid foods (from around 6 months) you can offer them sips of water from a cup or beaker with meals." And: "Drinking water for babies over 6 months does not need to be boiled first." Use the cold kitchen tap.
In short, newborns and babies under 6 months shouldn't drink water straight from the tap. Water for making up formula is different: it should always be freshly boiled, whatever your baby's age. If your home has lead pipes or a private water supply, read the sections below first.
Lead pipes: the main thing to check in an older home
Lead is one of the most important water issues in pregnancy and early childhood. Scotland's drinking water regulator, the DWQR, says: "Lead is toxic and where it does exist, the people most at risk are children, babies and pregnant women as it impairs development of the child." It also notes: "All drinking water is required to meet the standard for lead (10µg/l) that came into force in December 2013."
The Drinking Water Inspectorate says that if your home was built "before 1970 – it may have lead pipes". To check:
Find the internal stop tap (usually under the kitchen sink).
Look at the pipe coming up from the floor: the DWI says "Unpainted lead pipes appear dull grey and often have a swollen joint next to the tap", and a gentle scrape with a coin shows "the shiny, silver-coloured metal beneath". It advises: "Wear disposable gloves while you do this and be careful not to breathe in any dust."
If you're unsure — or the house is pre-1970 — a lead test is sensible, ideally before the baby arrives.
If you do have lead pipes, until they're replaced:
use water from the cold kitchen tap only for drinking, cooking and formula,
after water has stood overnight or for several hours, run the cold tap before using it. The DWI says "A washing up bowl full is normally enough to clear the pipe of standing water", and that you should notice "the change of temperature as fresh mains water arrives" (use that first bowl for plants or cleaning),
plan to replace the lead supply pipe; many water companies replace their section when you replace yours.
Private water supplies: bacteria and nitrate
If your home uses a borehole, well or spring, the water isn't treated or tested by a water company. Two things matter most for a baby:
Bacteria. Test before the baby arrives and after heavy rain. See E. coli or Coliforms in Your Water Test?
Nitrate. From fertiliser, manure or septic tanks. The DWI says "the current drinking water standard is 50 mg/L", and North Norfolk council explains that the limits "are based on World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendations to protect bottle fed infants under six months".
If your supply fails a test, or you're not sure, ask your council's environmental health team for advice before using it for formula. For high nitrate, North Norfolk council's guidance says: "Give infants up to the age of 6 months ready-diluted liquid formula."
Softened water and water filters
Softened water. The NHS says: "Do not use artificially softened water or water that has been boiled before." If you have a softener, keep one unsoftened tap — usually the kitchen cold tap — for drinking and formula.
Jug filters: follow the manufacturer's instructions, and still boil water for formula as the NHS describes above. Check what a filter is certified to remove before relying on it for lead.
Pregnancy: is tap water safe to drink?
For homes on mains water with no lead pipes, yes. UK mains water is heavily tested — 99.97% of more than 3.5 million regulatory tests in England met the standards in 2025.
Three questions apply: Is the house pre-1970 (lead)? Is it a private supply? Is the drinking tap mains-fed? See Is UK Tap Water Safe to Drink?
When testing makes sense
Situation | Worth testing? | Suggested test |
Mains water, house built after 1970, no concerns | Usually not needed | — |
House built before 1970, or pipes unknown | Yes, ideally before the baby arrives | Lead Test (first-draw sample) |
Recent renovation or new plumbing in an older house | Yes — work can disturb old pipework | |
Private supply | Yes, before the baby arrives and after heavy rain | E. coli Test + lab analysis including nitrate |
Taste, smell or colour has changed | Find the cause first |
A home test is a screening step, not a medical or laboratory certificate. If a result is unexpected, confirm it with an accredited lab, and talk to your midwife, health visitor or GP about any health concerns.
Test your water
A home test is a screening step, not medical advice. Talk to your midwife, health visitor or GP about any health concerns.
SustainWater home tests are screening tools. If a result is unexpected, or a health, legal or money decision depends on it, confirm it with an accredited laboratory.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use bottled water to make up formula? The NHS says: "Bottled water is not usually recommended for making up infant formula feeds for your baby. This is because it's not sterile and may contain too much salt (sodium) or sulphate." It adds that "in rare circumstances, such as when drinking water is unavailable or has been contaminated, you can use bottled water to make up infant formula feeds" — still boiled and prepared the same way.
Should I boil tap water for my baby to drink? Under 6 months, use cooled boiled water: the NHS says formula-fed babies "may need small sips of cooled boiled water during hot weather". From 6 months, "Drinking water for babies over 6 months does not need to be boiled first." Water for formula should always be freshly boiled and, the NHS says, left "to cool for no more than 30 minutes, so that it remains at a temperature of at least 70C".
Is tap water safe during pregnancy? Mains tap water is safe for most homes. Check for lead pipes if your home was built before about 1970, and take extra care with private supplies.
Can I use water from the bathroom tap for formula? Use the cold kitchen tap. Bathroom taps in older homes are sometimes fed from a loft tank.
We've just renovated our kitchen in an old house. Should we test? It's a sensible time to check for lead, because work can disturb old pipes and fittings.
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