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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in EX20, West DevonSafe to drink.Soft.

Supplied by South West Water. 285 samples, 16 substances, latest on 10 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 EX20 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: 0.00571 mg/L, <1% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper<1%Lead: 0.0001 mg/L, 1% of the 0.01 mg/L limitLead1%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%Antimony: 0.0001 mg/L, 2% of the 0.005 mg/L limitAntimony2%Selenium: 0.0012 mg/L, 3% of the 0.04 mg/L limitSelenium3%Manganese: 0.00184 mg/L, 4% of the 0.05 mg/L limitManganese4%Turbidity: 0.17 NTU, 4% of the 4 NTU limitTurbidity4%Arsenic: 0.00062 mg/L, 6% of the 0.01 mg/L limitArsenic6%Iron: 0.0138 mg/L, 7% of the 0.2 mg/L limitIron7%Bromate: 0.000993 mg/L, 10% of the 0.01 mg/L limitBromate10%Colour: 2 mg/L Pt/Co, 10% of the 20 mg/L Pt/Co limitColour10%Nitrate: 5 mg/L, 10% of the 50 mg/L limitNitrate10%Aluminium: 0.03 mg/L, 15% of the 0.2 mg/L limitAluminium15%Nickel: 0.0033 mg/L, 17% of the 0.02 mg/L limitNickel17%
  1. Nickel17%
  2. Aluminium15%
  3. Colour10%
  4. Nitrate10%
  5. Bromate10%
  6. Iron7%
  7. Arsenic6%
  8. Turbidity4%
  9. Manganese4%
  10. Selenium3%
  11. Antimony2%
  12. Chromium2%
  13. Cadmium1%
  14. Lead1%
  15. Copper<1%
  • pH 7.8 pH
All 16 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Aluminium0.03 mg/L0.2 mg/L
15%
Colour2 mg/L Pt/Co20 mg/L Pt/Co
10%
Iron0.0138 mg/L0.2 mg/L
7%
Manganese0.00184 mg/L0.05 mg/L
4%
pH7.8 pHNo legal limit–
Turbidity0.17 NTU4 NTU
4%
Bromate0.000993 mg/L0.01 mg/L
10%
Antimony0.0001 mg/L0.005 mg/L
2%
Arsenic0.00062 mg/L0.01 mg/L
6%
Cadmium0.00006 mg/L0.005 mg/L
1%
Chromium0.0008 mg/L0.05 mg/L
2%
Nitrate5 mg/L50 mg/L
10%
Selenium0.0012 mg/L0.04 mg/L
3%
Copper0.00571 mg/L2 mg/L
<1%
Lead0.0001 mg/L0.01 mg/L
1%
Nickel0.0033 mg/L0.02 mg/L
17%

44mg 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 River Okement, rated moderate

The Environment Agency rated the Middle River Okement as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by 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

EX20 in short

Tap water in EX20 (West Devon) is supplied by South West Water in the West Devon Central zone and scores 9.4 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 10 December 2025.

  • The lowest score of the 4 areas tested in West DevonEX20 scores 9.4 out of 10. The best in West Devon, PL16, scores 9.5.
  • Every one of the 3 neighbouring districts scores higherPL19 next door scores 9.5, against 9.4 here. Supply zones, not distance, explain the gap. See PL19
  • Soft water at 44 mg/LLimescale is not a problem in EX20, so skip softeners and scale filters entirely. How hardness is measured

Next door

PL199.5 out of 10 · 28 mg/LPL209.5 out of 10 · 28 mg/LPL169.5 out of 10 · 28 mg/L

Questions about EX20 water

Is EX20 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, EX20 (West Devon) water scores 9.4/10, which is safe. 0 of 16 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by South West Water.

What contaminants are in EX20 water?

We tested 16 contaminants in EX20 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels.

Who supplies water in EX20?

EX20 (West Devon) is supplied by South West Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.

Is EX20 water hard or soft?

Water in EX20 (West Devon) has a hardness of 44 mg/L CaCO3, which is classified as soft. Soft water is gentle on appliances and skin.

Should I use a water filter in EX20?

EX20 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 EX20 water?

No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for EX20, 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 EX20?

The Environment Agency rated the Middle River Okement as moderate for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is noticeably changed by pollution or engineering. It is held back by 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 EX20, 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 EX20

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
pH7.74 pHNone
Temperature16.6 °CNone
Conductivity127 µS/cmNone
Nitrate0.98 mg/L50 mg/L
Phosphate0.25 mg/LNone
Dissolved Oxygen9.65 mg/LNone
Ammonia0.032 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Zinc0.0295 mg/LNone

Get alerts for your area

We'll email you when water quality data changes for EX20.

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