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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in EX17, Mid DevonSafe to drink.Soft.

Supplied by South West Water. 649 samples, 16 substances, latest on 15 December 2025. Everything is inside the legal limit, and nothing comes close to it.

See the filter we recommendSee everything that was tested

9.5 / 10

The tank is as full as the score. The specks are the minerals that make water hard.

What to do about it

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What's in a glass of EX17 water

Every bubble is a substance the lab measured. The higher it floats, the closer it came to its legal limit, the dashed line at the top.

Nickel came closest to a limit, at 17% of it. 15 of 15 substances used under a quarter of theirs.

0%25%50%75%limitLegal limitCopper: 0.0199 mg/L, <1% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper<1%Cadmium: 0.00006 mg/L, 1% of the 0.005 mg/L limitCadmium1%Chromium: 0.0008 mg/L, 2% of the 0.05 mg/L limitChromium2%Bromate: 0.000163 mg/L, 2% of the 0.01 mg/L limitBromate2%Antimony: 0.0001 mg/L, 2% of the 0.005 mg/L limitAntimony2%Lead: 0.000224 mg/L, 2% of the 0.01 mg/L limitLead2%Manganese: 0.00133 mg/L, 3% of the 0.05 mg/L limitManganese3%Selenium: 0.0012 mg/L, 3% of the 0.04 mg/L limitSelenium3%Turbidity: 0.13 NTU, 3% of the 4 NTU limitTurbidity3%Iron: 0.0076 mg/L, 4% of the 0.2 mg/L limitIron4%Arsenic: 0.00062 mg/L, 6% of the 0.01 mg/L limitArsenic6%Colour: 2 mg/L Pt/Co, 10% of the 20 mg/L Pt/Co limitColour10%Aluminium: 0.0257 mg/L, 13% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium13%Nitrate: 7.46 mg/L, 15% of the 50 mg/L limitNitrate15%Nickel: 0.0033 mg/L, 17% of the 0.02 mg/L limitNickel17%
  1. Nickel17%
  2. Nitrate15%
  3. Aluminium13%
  4. Colour10%
  5. Arsenic6%
  6. Iron4%
  7. Turbidity3%
  8. Selenium3%
  9. Manganese3%
  10. Lead2%
  11. Antimony2%
  12. Bromate2%
  13. Chromium2%
  14. Cadmium1%
  15. Copper<1%
  • pH 7.7 pH
All 16 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Aluminium0.0257 mg/L0.2 mg/L
13%
Antimony0.0001 mg/L0.005 mg/L
2%
Arsenic0.00062 mg/L0.01 mg/L
6%
Copper0.0199 mg/L2 mg/L
<1%
Lead0.000224 mg/L0.01 mg/L
2%
Nickel0.0033 mg/L0.02 mg/L
17%
Colour2 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
10%
Iron0.0076 mg/L0.2 mg/L
4%
Manganese0.00133 mg/L0.05 mg/L
3%
pH7.7 pHNo legal limit–
Turbidity0.13 NTU4 NTU
3%
Cadmium0.00006 mg/L0.005 mg/L
1%
Chromium0.0008 mg/L0.05 mg/L
2%
Nitrate7.46 mg/L50 mg/L
15%
Selenium0.0012 mg/L0.04 mg/L
3%
Bromate0.000163 mg/L0.01 mg/L
2%

49mg of limescale minerals in every litre

Soft water. Kind to kettles, boilers and skin

You will not need a softener here, and you will use less soap and detergent than most of England.

Soft400 mg/L
Outside your tap

Your river is the Middle Creedy, rated moderate

The Environment Agency rated the Middle Creedy as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by water plants and algae and phosphate. It fails the chemical test, as every river, estuary and stretch of coast in England does, because of long-lasting pollutants such as mercury, PFOS (a forever chemical) and old flame retardants.

None of this is a test of your tap water. Environment Agency record · River health across England

Within 10 km

15

forever-chemical detections in nearby rivers and groundwater

At 2 sites. The highest was PFHpA at 0.003 µg/L, at Hill Farm East Village Shoebrook Crediton Spring Sample From Pipe Entering Reservoir, 5.3 km away, in February 2026. These are river and borehole samples, not tests of your tap water.

Every PFAS sample around Exeter · Which filters remove PFAS · PFAS explained

EX17 in short

Tap water in EX17 (Mid Devon) is supplied by South West Water in the Mid Devon Central zone and scores 9.5 out of 10, against an England and Wales average of 9.0. None of the 16 tested substances came close to a limit. The latest sample is from 15 December 2025.

  • 3rd cleanest of 4 areas tested in Mid Devon1 area in Mid Devon scored lower. The best is EX15 on 9.5.
  • Soft water at 49 mg/LLimescale is not a problem in EX17, so skip softeners and scale filters entirely. How hardness is measured
  • PFAS found at 2 monitoring sites within 10 kmThose are river and groundwater samples, not tap water. The highest was PFHpA about 5.3 km away. What was measured

Next door

EX159.5 out of 10 · 59 mg/LEX189.4 out of 10 · 40 mg/LEX169.5 out of 10 · 59 mg/L

Questions about EX17 water

Is EX17 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, EX17 (Mid Devon) water scores 9.5/10, which is safe. 0 of 16 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by South West Water.

What contaminants are in EX17 water?

We tested 16 contaminants in EX17 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels. PFAS (forever chemicals) were also measured in rivers and groundwater within 10 km, though not in the tap-water tests themselves.

Who supplies water in EX17?

EX17 (Mid Devon) is supplied by South West Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.

Is EX17 water hard or soft?

Water in EX17 (Mid Devon) has a hardness of 49 mg/L CaCO3, which is classified as soft. Soft water is gentle on appliances and skin.

Should I use a water filter in EX17?

EX17 water scored 9.5/10 with no contaminants above recommended levels. A filter is optional but can improve taste, especially if you notice a chlorine flavour. See our filter recommendations for your area.

Are there PFAS forever chemicals in EX17 water?

The tap-water tests we hold for EX17 do not include a PFAS result. Environment Agency monitoring found PFAS in 15 river and groundwater samples from 2 sites within 10 km of EX17, the highest being PFHpA at 0.003 µg/L about 5.3 km away. These are environmental samples, not tests of tap water. The UK currently has no legal limit for PFAS in drinking water; the Drinking Water Inspectorate uses a 0.1 µg/L guideline for individual compounds. Reverse osmosis filters can reduce PFAS levels.

How clean is the river near EX17?

The Environment Agency rated the Middle Creedy as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by water plants and algae and phosphate. It fails the chemical test, as every river, estuary and stretch of coast in England does, because of long-lasting pollutants such as mercury, PFOS (a forever chemical) and old flame retardants. This is a rating of the river, not of tap water in EX17, which is treated before it reaches homes.

Keep reading

PFAS explainedHow to test your waterBest water filtersFilter shower headsWater testing kitsUK water rankingsWater hardness checkerWater hardness map

River and groundwater readings near EX17

Environment Agency samples from rivers, groundwater and reservoirs nearby. Not your tap water. For scale they are shown against drinking water limits; rivers are judged against much stricter environmental standards, and on those every river in England fails for chemicals.

SubstanceReadingDrinking water limit
pH7.93 pHNone
Temperature16.9 °CNone
Conductivity478 µS/cmNone
Nitrate8.6 mg/L50 mg/L
Nitrite0.01 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Phosphate0.13 mg/LNone
Dissolved Oxygen8.36 mg/LNone
Ammonia0.035 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Copper0.00146 mg/L2 mg/L
Zinc0.0169 mg/LNone

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We'll email you when water quality data changes for EX17.

Source: South West Water test results, published through the Stream Water Data Portal; rivers and PFAS from the Environment Agency. Page updated . How we score · Where the data comes from