Part of the Legionella Data Index · compiled 2 August 2026
Legionnaires' disease in the North East England
The most recent regional figure UKHSA states explicitly: 17 confirmed cases of legionellosis in the North East England in 2023, a rate of 0.6 per 100,000 residents.
Whatever the regional count, the duties do not change: a non-domestic water system in the North East England still needs a risk assessment, a written scheme of control, and the records to show the scheme is being followed. Source: UKHSA national surveillance (Open Government Licence).
Prosecutions tracked in the North East England
The tracker holds 1 legionella prosecutions from the North East England, totalling £800k in fines (2018–2018).
| Defendant | Year | Sector | Fine | Prosecutor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Faltec Europe Limited Legionella grew to potentially lethal levels in recirculating cooling water at a car-parts factory in 2014 to 2015; five people including a local resident contracted the disease. The HSE had repeatedly warned of dead legs and damaged drift eliminators. Source
|
2018 | Manufacturing | £800k | HSE |
The full UK record, its curation rules and the per-sector breakdown are on the Legionella Enforcement Tracker; sector views sit under the Index.
Water hardness in the North East England towns
3 of 16 towns here carry a reported hardness figure; the rest show a band inferred from the water company's own statement, or an honest gap. Every row names its source and confidence. Scale risk uses the DWI/WHO anchor: scaling begins around 200 mg/l CaCO₃.
| Town | Water company | Hardness (mg/l CaCO₃) | Hardness band | Scale risk | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berwick-upon-Tweed | Northumbrian Water | — | Soft to slightly hard (~50-115 mg/l by zone) * | Low to moderate * | Company statement - band only (Northumbrian Water) Band inferred from Northumbrian Water zone reports (e.g. zone T203 avg 101.11 mg/l CaCO3). |
| Blyth | Northumbrian Water | — | Soft to slightly hard (~50-115 mg/l by zone) * | Low to moderate * | Company statement - band only (Northumbrian Water) Band inferred from Northumbrian Water zone reports (e.g. zone T203 avg 101.11 mg/l CaCO3). |
| Chester-le-Street | Northumbrian Water | — | Soft to slightly hard (~50-115 mg/l by zone) * | Low to moderate * | Company statement - band only (Northumbrian Water) Band inferred from Northumbrian Water zone reports (e.g. zone T203 avg 101.11 mg/l CaCO3). |
| Cramlington | Northumbrian Water | — | Soft to slightly hard (~50-115 mg/l by zone) * | Low to moderate * | Company statement - band only (Northumbrian Water) Band inferred from Northumbrian Water zone reports (e.g. zone T203 avg 101.11 mg/l CaCO3). |
| Darlington | Northumbrian Water | — | Soft to slightly hard (~50-115 mg/l by zone) * | Low to moderate * | Company statement - band only (Northumbrian Water) Band inferred from Northumbrian Water zone reports (e.g. zone T203 avg 101.11 mg/l CaCO3). |
| Durham | Northumbrian Water | — | Soft to slightly hard (~50-115 mg/l by zone) * | Low to moderate * | Company statement - band only (Northumbrian Water) Band inferred from Northumbrian Water zone reports (e.g. zone T203 avg 101.11 mg/l CaCO3). |
| Gateshead | Northumbrian Water | — | Soft to slightly hard (~50-115 mg/l by zone) * | Low to moderate * | Company statement - band only (Northumbrian Water) Band inferred from Northumbrian Water zone reports (e.g. zone T203 avg 101.11 mg/l CaCO3). |
| Hartlepool | Northumbrian Water | — | Soft to slightly hard (~50-115 mg/l by zone) * | Low to moderate * | Company statement - band only (Northumbrian Water) Band inferred from Northumbrian Water zone reports (e.g. zone T203 avg 101.11 mg/l CaCO3). |
| Hexham | Northumbrian Water | — | Soft to slightly hard (~50-115 mg/l by zone) * | Low to moderate * | Company statement - band only (Northumbrian Water) Band inferred from Northumbrian Water zone reports (e.g. zone T203 avg 101.11 mg/l CaCO3). |
| Middlesbrough | Northumbrian Water | 52 | Soft | Low | Single source - unverified (MyTapWater) |
| Morpeth | Northumbrian Water | — | Soft to slightly hard (~50-115 mg/l by zone) * | Low to moderate * | Company statement - band only (Northumbrian Water) Band inferred from Northumbrian Water zone reports (e.g. zone T203 avg 101.11 mg/l CaCO3). |
| Newcastle upon Tyne | Northumbrian Water | 50 | Soft | Low | Single source - unverified (MyTapWater) |
| South Shields | Northumbrian Water | — | Soft to slightly hard (~50-115 mg/l by zone) * | Low to moderate * | Company statement - band only (Northumbrian Water) Band inferred from Northumbrian Water zone reports (e.g. zone T203 avg 101.11 mg/l CaCO3). |
| Stockton-on-Tees | Northumbrian Water | — | Soft to slightly hard (~50-115 mg/l by zone) * | Low to moderate * | Company statement - band only (Northumbrian Water) Band inferred from Northumbrian Water zone reports (e.g. zone T203 avg 101.11 mg/l CaCO3). |
| Sunderland | Northumbrian Water | 48 | Soft | Low | Single source - unverified (MyTapWater) |
| Washington | Northumbrian Water | — | Soft to slightly hard (~50-115 mg/l by zone) * | Low to moderate * | Company statement - band only (Northumbrian Water) Band inferred from Northumbrian Water zone reports (e.g. zone T203 avg 101.11 mg/l CaCO3). |
* Band or scale risk inferred from the water company's own published statement, not a measured town value. Figures labelled "unverified" come from aggregator sites and should be confirmed against the company's postcode water-quality checker before being relied on. How this dataset is built.
What councils in the North East England ask of landlords
The national legionella duty is the same everywhere; what varies locally is property licensing and whether legionella is written into licence conditions. These verified councils fall in the North East England:
| Council | Nation | Scheme | In force | Legionella in licensing? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Durham County Council 103 designated areas (~27% of the county, ~38% of the private rented sector) Condition 12, verbatim: "Landlords of domestic accommodation should ensure a risk assessment is carried out for Legionella bacteria at the outset of each tenancy and thereafter maintain control measures to minimise the risk." Source document | England | Selective licensing | 1 Apr 2022 onwards | Explicit licence condition |