Information on Current Issues

Introduction

The Inspectorate receives many enquiries about the quality of drinking water. Enquiries frequently concern articles printed by the media about drinking water and risks to health. Enquirers are frequently concerned or confused about possible risks to themselves or to members of their family.

Summaries of information available to the Inspectorate, using layman's language as far as is possible, are given in the following brief notes.

Topics

• Fluoridation of Drinking Water
• Nickel
• Blue Water and Copper Pipes
• Chlorinated Tap Water and the Unborn Child
• Cryptosporidium and cryptosporidiosis
• Disinfection By-products
• Endocrine Disrupters
• Escherichia coli O157 (E coli)
• Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis and Crohn's Disease
• Methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE)
• Nitrate
• Pesticides
• Algal Blooms and Effects on Water Quality
• Pharmaceutical residues

Further Information

Readers seeking more scientific detail may also wish to view the Inspectorate's database of research reports. This can be found on the Foundation for Water Research website www.fwr.org By clicking on "publications" and "FWR" you can view the Executive Summaries or obtain copies of drinking water quality and health research reports. Readers may also find that the Inspectorate's Drinking Water Information Leaflets assist with their enquiries.