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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in EX36, North DevonSafe to drink.Soft.

Supplied by South West Water. 389 samples, 16 substances, latest on 11 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 EX36 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: 0.0025 mg/L, <1% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper<1%Manganese: 0.000475 mg/L, <1% of the 0.05 mg/L limitManganese<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%Turbidity: 0.13 NTU, 3% of the 4 NTU limitTurbidity3%Bromate: 0.000377 mg/L, 4% of the 0.01 mg/L limitBromate4%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%Nitrate: 5.4 mg/L, 11% of the 50 mg/L limitNitrate11%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. Nitrate11%
  4. Colour10%
  5. Arsenic6%
  6. Iron4%
  7. Bromate4%
  8. Turbidity3%
  9. Selenium3%
  10. Antimony2%
  11. Chromium2%
  12. Cadmium1%
  13. Lead1%
  14. Manganese<1%
  15. Copper<1%
  • pH 7.9 pH
All 16 results as a table
SubstanceResultLegal limitShare of limit
Bromate0.000377 mg/L0.01 mg/L
4%
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%
Nitrate5.4 mg/L50 mg/L
11%
Selenium0.0012 mg/L0.04 mg/L
3%
Copper0.0025 mg/L2 mg/L
<1%
Lead0.0001 mg/L0.01 mg/L
1%
Nickel0.0033 mg/L0.02 mg/L
17%
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%
Manganese0.000475 mg/L0.05 mg/L
<1%
pH7.9 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 Yeo (Molland), rated good

The Environment Agency rated the Yeo (Molland) as good for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is only slightly changed from its natural state. 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

EX36 in short

Tap water in EX36 (North Devon) is supplied by South West Water in the North 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 11 December 2025.

  • Soft water at 46 mg/LLimescale is not a problem in EX36, so skip softeners and scale filters entirely. How hardness is measured
  • 3rd cleanest of 7 areas tested in North DevonOnly 2 areas in North Devon scored higher. The best is EX31 on 9.5.
  • Nothing tested came within 40% of its legal limitThe highest was Nickel at 17% of the 0.02 mg/L maximum. See every reading

Next door

EX319.5 out of 10 · 40 mg/LEX329.4 out of 10 · 46 mg/LEX339.4 out of 10 · 40 mg/LEX379.4 out of 10 · 46 mg/LEX349.5 out of 10 · 33 mg/LEX359.4 out of 10 · 46 mg/L

Questions about EX36 water

Is EX36 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, EX36 (North 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 EX36 water?

We tested 16 contaminants in EX36 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels.

Who supplies water in EX36?

EX36 (North Devon) is supplied by South West Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.

Is EX36 water hard or soft?

Water in EX36 (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 EX36?

EX36 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 EX36 water?

No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for EX36, 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 EX36?

The Environment Agency rated the Yeo (Molland) as good for ecological health in its 2025 assessment, meaning the river is only slightly changed from its natural state. 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 EX36, 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 EX36

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
Iron0.158 mg/L0.2 mg/L
pH7.6 pHNone
Temperature16.9 °CNone
Conductivity161 µS/cmNone
Nitrate1.8 mg/L50 mg/L
Phosphate0.08 mg/LNone
Dissolved Oxygen9.44 mg/LNone
Nitrite0.0046 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Ammonia0.044 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Hardness (as CaCO3)43.1 mg/LNone
Manganese0.0285 mg/L0.05 mg/L
Aluminium0.0595 mg/L0.2 mg/L
Copper0.00191 mg/L2 mg/L

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We'll email you when water quality data changes for EX36.

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