Tap water in EX4, ExeterSafe to drink.Soft.
Supplied by South West Water. 1,139 samples, 16 substances, latest on 19 December 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
£40typical price
Households concerned about PFAS and heavy metals
Waterdrop 10UA Under Sink
£70typical price
High-volume under-sink filtration without RO complexity
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 EX4 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.
- Nickel17%
- Nitrate13%
- Aluminium13%
- Colour10%
- Iron9%
- Lead6%
- Arsenic6%
- Manganese5%
- Turbidity3%
- Selenium3%
- Antimony2%
- Chromium2%
- Bromate1%
- Cadmium1%
- Copper<1%
- pH 7.5 pH
All 16 results as a table
| Substance | Result | Legal limit | Share of limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bromate | 0.000132 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 1% |
| Antimony | 0.0001 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | 2% |
| Arsenic | 0.00062 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 6% |
| Cadmium | 0.00006 mg/L | 0.005 mg/L | 1% |
| Chromium | 0.0008 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | 2% |
| Nitrate | 6.65 mg/L | 50 mg/L | 13% |
| Selenium | 0.0012 mg/L | 0.04 mg/L | 3% |
| Copper | 0.0151 mg/L | 2 mg/L | <1% |
| Lead | 0.000639 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 6% |
| Nickel | 0.0033 mg/L | 0.02 mg/L | 17% |
| Aluminium | 0.0257 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 13% |
| Colour | 2 mg/L Pt/Co | 20 mg/L Pt/Co | 10% |
| Iron | 0.0174 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 9% |
| Manganese | 0.00248 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | 5% |
| pH | 7.5 pH | No legal limit | – |
| Turbidity | 0.13 NTU | 4 NTU | 3% |
56mg 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.
Your river is the Exe (Creedy to Estuary), rated moderate
The Environment Agency rated the Exe (Creedy 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 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
93
forever-chemical detections in nearby rivers and groundwater
At 7 sites. The highest was 6:2 FTSA at 0.011 µg/L, at River Exe at Thorverton Gauging Station, 8.2 km away, in November 2023. These are river and borehole samples, not tests of your tap water.
Every PFAS sample around Exeter · Which filters remove PFAS · PFAS explained
EX4 in short
Tap water in EX4 (Exeter) is supplied by South West Water in the Exeter 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 19 December 2025.
- 3rd cleanest of 4 areas tested in Exeter1 area in Exeter scored lower. The best is EX2 on 9.5. Every area in Exeter
- Soft water at 56 mg/LLimescale is not a problem in EX4, so skip softeners and scale filters entirely. How hardness is measured
- PFAS found at 7 monitoring sites within 10 kmThose are river and groundwater samples, not tap water. The highest was 6:2 FTSA about 8.2 km away. What was measured
Questions about EX4 water
Is EX4 tap water safe to drink?
Based on the latest tests, EX4 (Exeter) 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 EX4 water?
We tested 16 contaminants in EX4 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels. PFAS (forever chemicals) were also measured in rivers and groundwater within 10 km, though not in the tap-water tests themselves.
Who supplies water in EX4?
EX4 (Exeter) is supplied by South West Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.
Is EX4 water hard or soft?
Water in EX4 (Exeter) has a hardness of 56 mg/L CaCO3, which is classified as soft. Soft water is gentle on appliances and skin.
Should I use a water filter in EX4?
EX4 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 EX4 water?
The tap-water tests we hold for EX4 do not include a PFAS result. Environment Agency monitoring found PFAS in 93 river and groundwater samples from 7 sites within 10 km of EX4, the highest being 6:2 FTSA at 0.011 µg/L about 8.2 km away. These are environmental samples, not tests of tap water. The UK currently has no legal limit for PFAS in drinking water; the Drinking Water Inspectorate uses a 0.1 µg/L guideline for individual compounds. Reverse osmosis filters can reduce PFAS levels.
How clean is the river near EX4?
The Environment Agency rated the Exe (Creedy 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 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 EX4, which is treated before it reaches homes.
Keep reading
- Best Filter for PFAS RemovalThe filters with independent certification to remove forever chemicals
- PFAS Forever ChemicalsWhat PFAS are and how to reduce your exposure at home
- Is UK Tap Water Safe?Everything you need to know about tap water safety in the UK
- Best Water Filters UKEvery filter type compared on what it actually removes
PFAS explainedHow to test your waterBest water filtersFilter shower headsWater testing kitsAll of ExeterUK water rankingsWater hardness checkerWater hardness map
River and groundwater readings near EX4
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.
| Substance | Reading | Drinking water limit |
|---|---|---|
| Ammonia | 9.8 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L |
| Iron | 2.3 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L |
| pH | 7.95 pH | None |
| Temperature | 8.1 °C | None |
| Conductivity | 724 µS/cm | None |
| Nitrate | 2 mg/L | 50 mg/L |
| Nitrite | 0.089 mg/L | 0.5 mg/L |
| Phosphate | 0.028 mg/L | None |
| Aluminium | 0.032 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L |
| Copper | 0.0011 mg/L | 2 mg/L |
| Nickel | 0.0027 mg/L | 0.02 mg/L |
| Dissolved Oxygen | 9.72 mg/L | None |
| Chromium | 0.00059 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L |
| Zinc | 0.013 mg/L | None |
Get alerts for your area
We'll email you when water quality data changes for EX4.