Water Hardness in Devon

Water Hardness Across Devon

The average water hardness in Devon is 86 ppm, classified as slightly hard. Across 82 postcode districts in the South West region, hardness ranges from 28 ppm to 138 ppm.

Devon is served by South West Water. With slightly hard water, limescale is unlikely to be a major concern in most homes.

Hardness varies across Devon: Exeter has the hardest water at 93 ppm, while Torquay is the softest at 56 ppm. The county spans 3 towns and 82 postcode districts in total.

At 86 ppm, Devon ranks as slightly hard water nationally. Compare it against the 50 softest water areas in the UK.

By town

Towns in Devon

Sorted by hardness — tap a town for full details.

Town	Hardness	PPM	Level
Exeter	93	93 ppm	Slightly Hard
Plymouth	91	91 ppm	Slightly Hard
Torquay	56	56 ppm	Soft

Suppliers

Water Companies in Devon

Companies supplying water to this county.

South West Water

80 ppm Slightly Hard

All postcodes

Postcodes in Devon

Every postcode district in the county, sorted by hardness.

Postcode	Town	Hardness	PPM	Level
EX39	Bideford	138	138 ppm	Moderately Hard
PL9	Plymouth	138	138 ppm	Moderately Hard
EX38	Torrington	137	137 ppm	Moderately Hard
PL8	Plymouth	137	137 ppm	Moderately Hard
EX37	Umberleigh	136	136 ppm	Moderately Hard
PL7	Plymouth	136	136 ppm	Moderately Hard
EX36	South Molton	135	135 ppm	Moderately Hard
PL6	Plymouth	135	135 ppm	Moderately Hard
EX35	Lynton	134	134 ppm	Moderately Hard
PL5	Plymouth	134	134 ppm	Moderately Hard
EX34	Ilfracombe	133	133 ppm	Moderately Hard
PL4	Plymouth	133	133 ppm	Moderately Hard
EX33	Braunton	132	132 ppm	Moderately Hard
PL3	Plymouth	132	132 ppm	Moderately Hard
EX32	Barnstaple	131	131 ppm	Moderately Hard
PL2	Plymouth	131	131 ppm	Moderately Hard
EX31	Barnstaple	130	130 ppm	Moderately Hard
PL1	Plymouth	130	130 ppm	Moderately Hard
PL35	Boscastle	115	115 ppm	Slightly Hard
PL34	Tintagel	114	114 ppm	Slightly Hard
PL33	Delabole	113	113 ppm	Slightly Hard
PL32	Camelford	112	112 ppm	Slightly Hard
PL31	Bodmin	111	111 ppm	Slightly Hard
PL30	Bodmin	110	110 ppm	Slightly Hard
EX24	Colyton	100	100 ppm	Slightly Hard
EX23	Bude	99	99 ppm	Slightly Hard
EX22	Holsworthy	98	98 ppm	Slightly Hard
EX21	Beaworthy	97	97 ppm	Slightly Hard
EX20	Okehampton	96	96 ppm	Slightly Hard
PL29	Port Isaac	86	86 ppm	Slightly Hard
PL28	Padstow	85	85 ppm	Slightly Hard
PL27	Wadebridge	84	84 ppm	Slightly Hard
EX9	Budleigh Salterton	83	83 ppm	Slightly Hard
PL26	St Austell	83	83 ppm	Slightly Hard
EX8	Exmouth	82	82 ppm	Slightly Hard
PL25	St Austell	82	82 ppm	Slightly Hard
EX7	Dawlish	81	81 ppm	Slightly Hard
PL24	Par	81	81 ppm	Slightly Hard
EX6	Exeter	80	80 ppm	Slightly Hard
PL23	Fowey	80	80 ppm	Slightly Hard
EX5	Exeter	79	79 ppm	Slightly Hard
PL22	Lostwithiel	79	79 ppm	Slightly Hard
EX4	Exeter	78	78 ppm	Slightly Hard
PL21	Ivybridge	78	78 ppm	Slightly Hard
EX3	Exeter	77	77 ppm	Slightly Hard
PL20	Yelverton	77	77 ppm	Slightly Hard
EX2	Exeter	76	76 ppm	Slightly Hard
EX1	Exeter	75	75 ppm	Slightly Hard
TQ9	Totnes	74	74 ppm	Slightly Hard
TQ8	Salcombe	73	73 ppm	Slightly Hard
EX19	Winkleigh	72	72 ppm	Slightly Hard
TQ7	Kingsbridge	72	72 ppm	Slightly Hard
EX18	Chulmleigh	71	71 ppm	Slightly Hard
TQ6	Dartmouth	71	71 ppm	Slightly Hard
EX17	Crediton	70	70 ppm	Slightly Hard
TQ5	Brixham	70	70 ppm	Slightly Hard
EX16	Tiverton	69	69 ppm	Slightly Hard
TQ4	Paignton	69	69 ppm	Slightly Hard
EX15	Cullompton	68	68 ppm	Slightly Hard
TQ3	Paignton	68	68 ppm	Slightly Hard
EX14	Honiton	67	67 ppm	Slightly Hard
TQ2	Torquay	67	67 ppm	Slightly Hard
EX13	Axminster	66	66 ppm	Slightly Hard
TQ1	Torquay	66	66 ppm	Slightly Hard
EX12	Seaton	65	65 ppm	Slightly Hard
EX11	Ottery St Mary	64	64 ppm	Slightly Hard
EX10	Sidmouth	63	63 ppm	Slightly Hard
PL19	Tavistock	53	53 ppm	Soft
PL18	Gunnislake	52	52 ppm	Soft
PL17	Callington	51	51 ppm	Soft
PL16	Lifton	50	50 ppm	Soft
PL15	Launceston	49	49 ppm	Soft
PL14	Liskeard	48	48 ppm	Soft
PL13	Looe	47	47 ppm	Soft
PL12	Saltash	46	46 ppm	Soft
PL11	Torpoint	45	45 ppm	Soft
PL10	Torpoint	44	44 ppm	Soft
TQ14	Teignmouth	32	32 ppm	Soft
TQ13	Newton Abbot	31	31 ppm	Soft
TQ12	Newton Abbot	30	30 ppm	Soft
TQ11	Buckfastleigh	29	29 ppm	Soft
TQ10	South Brent	28	28 ppm	Soft

Test Your Water in Devon

At 86 ppm on average, your water is slightly hard. A home testing kit lets you verify the exact hardness for your postcode and check for other contaminants.

TESPERT 16-in-1 Water Testing Kit

From ~£10

Home water test strips that check hardness, pH, chlorine, lead, and 12 other parameters. Results in around 60 seconds. 125 strips per pack.

View on Amazon

FAQ

Water Hardness in Devon: Common Questions

Is the water in Devon hard or soft?

Devon has slightly hard water, averaging 86 ppm across 82 postcode districts. Limescale build-up is minimal at this level, though individual postcodes vary.

Where is the hardest water in Devon?

Exeter has the hardest water in Devon at 93 ppm, while Torquay is the softest at 56 ppm. Across the county, hardness ranges from 28 ppm to 138 ppm by postcode district.

Which water company supplies Devon?

Devon is supplied by South West Water. You can check each supplier's reported hardness figures on their water company page.

Do I need a water softener in Devon?

At 86 ppm, Devon has soft water and a whole-house softener is not needed.

What is the average water hardness in Devon?

The average water hardness in Devon is 86 ppm (parts per million), classified as slightly hard. It ranges from 28 ppm to 138 ppm across 82 postcode districts in the South West region.

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