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tapwater
England and Wales average 9.0

Tap water in EX38, TorridgeSafe to drink.Soft.

Supplied by South West Water. 418 samples, 9 substances, latest on 17 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 EX38 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: 0.00601 mg/L, <1% of the 2 mg/L limitCopper<1%Lead: 0.000129 mg/L, 1% of the 0.01 mg/L limitLead1%Manganese: 0.00101 mg/L, 2% of the 0.05 mg/L limitManganese2%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%Nickel: 0.0033 mg/L, 17% of the 0.02 mg/L limitNickel17%
  1. Nickel17%
  2. Aluminium13%
  3. Colour10%
  4. Iron4%
  5. Turbidity3%
  6. Manganese2%
  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%
Manganese0.00101 mg/L0.05 mg/L
2%
pH7.7 pHNo legal limit–
Turbidity0.13 NTU4 NTU
3%
Copper0.00601 mg/L2 mg/L
<1%
Lead0.000129 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 Torridge (Lew to Estuary), rated moderate

The Environment Agency rated the Torridge (Lew to Estuary) 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. 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

EX38 in short

Tap water in EX38 (Torridge) is supplied by South West Water in the Torridge 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 17 December 2025.

  • The lowest score of the 5 areas tested in TorridgeEX38 scores 9.4 out of 10. The best in Torridge, EX21, scores 9.5.
  • Soft water at 44 mg/LLimescale is not a problem in EX38, so skip softeners and scale filters entirely. How hardness is measured
  • 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

EX199.4 out of 10 · 40 mg/LEX219.5 out of 10 · 44 mg/LEX399.5 out of 10 · 44 mg/LEX229.4 out of 10 · 48 mg/L

Questions about EX38 water

Is EX38 tap water safe to drink?

Based on the latest tests, EX38 (Torridge) 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 EX38 water?

We tested 9 contaminants in EX38 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels.

Who supplies water in EX38?

EX38 (Torridge) is supplied by South West Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.

Is EX38 water hard or soft?

Water in EX38 (Torridge) 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 EX38?

EX38 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 EX38 water?

No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for EX38, 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 EX38?

The Environment Agency rated the Torridge (Lew to Estuary) 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. 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 EX38, 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 EX38

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
pH7.77 pHNone
Temperature15.7 °CNone
Conductivity308 µS/cmNone
Nitrate0.58 mg/L50 mg/L
Phosphate0.048 mg/LNone
Dissolved Oxygen10.5 mg/LNone
Ammonia0.24 mg/L0.5 mg/L
Nitrite0.018 mg/L0.5 mg/L
PFAS (total)0.00033 µg/LNone

Get alerts for your area

We'll email you when water quality data changes for EX38.

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