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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in EX35, North DevonSafe to drink.Soft.

Supplied by South West Water. 41 samples, 6 substances, latest on 25 November 2025. Everything is inside the legal limit, and nothing comes close to it.

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

ZeroWater 12-Cup Ready-Pour

ZeroWater 12-Cup Ready-Pour

£40typical price

Households concerned about PFAS and heavy metals

Waterdrop 10UA Under Sink

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£70typical price

High-volume under-sink filtration without RO complexity

BRITA Marella XL + MAXTRA PRO

BRITA Marella XL + MAXTRA PRO

£25typical price

Basic chlorine and taste improvement on a budget

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What's in a glass of EX35 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.

Aluminium came closest to a limit, at 13% of it. 5 of 5 substances used under a quarter of theirs.

0%25%50%75%limitLegal limitManganese: 0.00035 mg/L, <1% of the 0.05 mg/L limitManganese<1%Turbidity: 0.13 NTU, 3% of the 4 NTU limitTurbidity3%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%
  1. Aluminium13%
  2. Colour10%
  3. Iron4%
  4. Turbidity3%
  5. Manganese<1%
  • pH 8 pH
All 6 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%
Manganese0.00035 mg/L0.05 mg/L
<1%
pH8 pHNo legal limit–
Turbidity0.13 NTU4 NTU
3%

46mg 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 West Lyn River, rated poor

The Environment Agency rated the West Lyn River as poor for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is badly affected, with much of the expected wildlife missing. It is held back by fish. 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. Its ecological rating has dropped since the previous assessment.

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

EX35 in short

Tap water in EX35 (North Devon) is supplied by South West Water in the North Devon Central zone and scores 9.4 out of 10, against an England and Wales average of 9.0. None of the 6 tested substances came close to a limit. The latest sample is from 25 November 2025.

  • 6th cleanest of 7 areas tested in North Devon1 area in North Devon scored lower. The best is EX31 on 9.5.
  • Soft water at 46 mg/LLimescale is not a problem in EX35, so skip softeners and scale filters entirely. How hardness is measured
  • Nothing tested came within 40% of its legal limitThe highest was Aluminium at 13% of the 0.2 mg/L maximum. See every reading

Questions about EX35 water

Is EX35 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, EX35 (North Devon) water scores 9.4/10, which is safe. 0 of 6 tested contaminants exceeded recommended levels. Water is supplied by South West Water.

What contaminants are in EX35 water?

We tested 6 contaminants in EX35 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels.

Who supplies water in EX35?

EX35 (North Devon) is supplied by South West Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.

Is EX35 water hard or soft?

Water in EX35 (North Devon) has a hardness of 46 mg/L CaCO3, which is classified as soft. Soft water is gentle on appliances and skin.

Should I use a water filter in EX35?

EX35 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 EX35 water?

No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for EX35, 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 EX35?

The Environment Agency rated the West Lyn River as poor for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is badly affected, with much of the expected wildlife missing. It is held back by fish. 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. Its ecological rating has dropped since the previous assessment. This is a rating of the river, not of tap water in EX35, 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 EX35

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
pH7.92 pHNone
Temperature8.1 °CNone
Conductivity104 µS/cmNone
Ammonia0.0065 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Nitrate0.928 mg/L50 mg/L
Phosphate0.0125 mg/LNone
Dissolved Oxygen12 mg/LNone
Nitrite0.00164 mg/L0.5 mg/L

Get alerts for your area

We'll email you when water quality data changes for EX35.

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