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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in EX18, Mid DevonSafe to drink.Soft.

Supplied by South West Water. 42 samples, 9 substances, latest on 3 December 2025. Everything is inside the legal limit, and nothing comes close to it.

See the filter we recommendSee everything that was tested

9.4 / 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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Basic chlorine and taste improvement on a budget

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What's in a glass of EX18 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. 8 of 8 substances used under a quarter of theirs.

0%25%50%75%limitLegal limitCopper: 0.0025 mg/L, <1% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper<1%Lead: 0.0001 mg/L, 1% of the 0.01 mg/L limitLead1%Turbidity: 0.07 NTU, 2% of the 4 NTU limitTurbidity2%Manganese: 0.000907 mg/L, 2% of the 0.05 mg/L limitManganese2%Iron: 0.0076 mg/L, 4% of the 0.2 mg/L limitIron4%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%Nickel: 0.0033 mg/L, 17% of the 0.02 mg/L limitNickel17%
  1. Nickel17%
  2. Aluminium13%
  3. Colour10%
  4. Iron4%
  5. Manganese2%
  6. Turbidity2%
  7. Lead1%
  8. Copper<1%
  • pH 7.7 pH
All 9 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Aluminium0.0257 mg/L0.2 mg/L
13%
Colour2 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
10%
Iron0.0076 mg/L0.2 mg/L
4%
Manganese0.000907 mg/L0.05 mg/L
2%
pH7.7 pHNo legal limit–
Turbidity0.07 NTU4 NTU
2%
Copper0.0025 mg/L2 mg/L
<1%
Lead0.0001 mg/L0.01 mg/L
1%
Nickel0.0033 mg/L0.02 mg/L
17%

40mg 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 Taw (River Yeo to Little Dart River), rated moderate

The Environment Agency rated the Taw (River Yeo to Little Dart River) 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

EX18 in short

Tap water in EX18 (Mid Devon) is supplied by South West Water in the Mid Devon Central zone and scores 9.4 out of 10, against an England and Wales average of 9.0. None of the 9 tested substances came close to a limit. The latest sample is from 3 December 2025.

  • The lowest score of the 4 areas tested in Mid DevonEX18 scores 9.4 out of 10. The best in Mid Devon, EX15, scores 9.5.
  • Every one of the 3 neighbouring districts scores higherEX15 next door scores 9.5, against 9.4 here. Supply zones, not distance, explain the gap. See EX15
  • Soft water at 40 mg/LLimescale is not a problem in EX18, so skip softeners and scale filters entirely. How hardness is measured

Next door

EX159.5 out of 10 · 59 mg/LEX179.5 out of 10 · 49 mg/LEX169.5 out of 10 · 59 mg/L

Questions about EX18 water

Is EX18 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, EX18 (Mid Devon) water scores 9.4/10, which is safe. 0 of 9 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by South West Water.

What contaminants are in EX18 water?

We tested 9 contaminants in EX18 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels.

Who supplies water in EX18?

EX18 (Mid Devon) is supplied by South West Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.

Is EX18 water hard or soft?

Water in EX18 (Mid Devon) has a hardness of 40 mg/L CaCO3, which is classified as soft. Soft water is gentle on appliances and skin.

Should I use a water filter in EX18?

EX18 water scored 9.4/10 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 EX18 water?

No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for EX18, and the Environment Agency has no PFAS detections in rivers or groundwater within 10 km of it. That reflects where sampling has happened as much as the water itself.

How clean is the river near EX18?

The Environment Agency rated the Taw (River Yeo to Little Dart River) 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 EX18, which is treated before it reaches homes.

Keep reading

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

River and groundwater readings near EX18

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
pH7.54 pHNone
Temperature15.6 °CNone
Conductivity280 µS/cmNone
Nitrate0.42 mg/L50 mg/L
Phosphate0.056 mg/LNone
Dissolved Oxygen10.1 mg/LNone
Nitrite0.0043 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Ammonia0.03 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Copper0.00234 mg/L2 mg/L
Zinc0.00883 mg/LNone

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We'll email you when water quality data changes for EX18.

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