Tap water in PL16, West DevonSafe to drink.Soft.
Supplied by South West Water. 144 samples, 16 substances, latest on 27 November 2025. Everything is inside the legal limit, and nothing comes close to it.
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
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 PL16 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%
- Aluminium13%
- Colour10%
- Nitrate10%
- Bromate7%
- Arsenic6%
- Iron4%
- Turbidity3%
- Selenium3%
- Manganese3%
- Antimony2%
- Chromium2%
- Cadmium1%
- Lead1%
- Copper<1%
- pH 7.7 pH
All 16 results as a table
| Substance | Result | Legal limit | Share of limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bromate | 0.0007 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 7% |
| Aluminium | 0.0257 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 13% |
| 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% |
| Colour | 2 mg/L Pt/Co | 20 mg/L Pt/Co | 10% |
| Iron | 0.0076 mg/L | 0.2 mg/L | 4% |
| Manganese | 0.00125 mg/L | 0.05 mg/L | 3% |
| Nitrate | 5 mg/L | 50 mg/L | 10% |
| pH | 7.7 pH | No legal limit | – |
| Selenium | 0.0012 mg/L | 0.04 mg/L | 3% |
| Turbidity | 0.13 NTU | 4 NTU | 3% |
| Copper | 0.0025 mg/L | 2 mg/L | <1% |
| Lead | 0.0001 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L | 1% |
| Nickel | 0.0033 mg/L | 0.02 mg/L | 17% |
28mg 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 Thrushel, rated good
The Environment Agency rated the Thrushel 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
PL16 in short
Tap water in PL16 (West Devon) is supplied by South West Water in the West 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 27 November 2025.
- The cleanest tap water of the 4 areas tested in West DevonPL16 scores 9.5 out of 10, ahead of PL19 in second place on 9.5.
- Soft water at 28 mg/LLimescale is not a problem in PL16, 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
Questions about PL16 water
Is PL16 tap water safe to drink?
Based on the latest tests, PL16 (West 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 PL16 water?
We tested 16 contaminants in PL16 water. None exceeded recommended safe levels.
Who supplies water in PL16?
PL16 (West Devon) is supplied by South West Water. You can view their full profile and compliance data on our supplier page.
Is PL16 water hard or soft?
Water in PL16 (West Devon) has a hardness of 28 mg/L CaCO3, which is classified as soft. Soft water is gentle on appliances and skin.
Should I use a water filter in PL16?
PL16 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 PL16 water?
No PFAS (forever chemicals) result is attached to the tap-water tests for PL16, 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 PL16?
The Environment Agency rated the Thrushel 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 PL16, which is treated before it reaches homes.
Keep reading
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- Best Water Filter Jug UKBRITA vs ZeroWater vs the rest, tested against real data
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River and groundwater readings near PL16
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.
Get alerts for your area
We'll email you when water quality data changes for PL16.