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Press Release

10 July 2007

LATEST DRINKING WATER QUALITY RESULTS - THAMES REGION

 

Today the independent drinking water quality regulator (DWI) talks about the latest annual drinking water quality report at a meeting hosted by the Consumer Council for Water Thames.

Professor Jeni Colbourne, Chief Inspector of Drinking Water said “The quality of drinking water in the Thames region is high and results in 2006 improved - 99.98% of tap samples met the standards, up from 99.96% in 2005”.

Overall, results were better for tests at treatment works, from taps and from locations where treated water is stored (service reservoirs and towers).

Detailed in the report are the actions taken following investigations of 152 sub standard samples of tap water and 12 water quality incidents. Talking about the learning points from these, and independent audits by inspectors, Regional Drinking Water Quality Inspector Jim Foster said “our investigations have revealed some weaknesses in water supply management and maintenance arrangements, we expect improvement in these aspects to be a focus for companies going forward”

Just over 14,000 consumers living in the Thames region contacted their water company about a tap water quality problem (a rate of 1.24 per 1000 population) The rate of consumer contact for each company supplying water in the Thames region varied from 0.90 to 1.87 contacts per 1000 population. The consumer reports were mostly about the appearance and taste of tap water.

The good news for consumers in the region was the completion by companies of improvement programmes bringing three water supplies up to standard in respect of standards for pesticides, nitrate and Cryptosporidium regulations.

BACKGROUND FOR EDITORS

  1. The Drinking Water Inspectorate was formed in 1990 and acts as the independent regulator of the quality and safety of drinking water supplied by the water companies in England and Wales. The powers and duties of the Inspectorate come from the Water Industry Act 1991, as amended by the Water Act 2003.

  2. Drinking Water 2006 comes in the following self contained parts:
    Drinking Water in England and Wales looks at drinking water quality at the national level from the perspective of the Chief Inspector of Drinking Water, it also gives data on the performance of the industry in 2006 and summarises current and future research work.
    Regional reports - seven separate regional reports, each giving the overview of drinking water quality with results, maps and commentary for a region (Northern, Midlands, Eastern, Thames, Southern, Western and Wales).
  3. Drinking Water 2006 is available in downloadable format on the Inspectorate’s website at http://www.dwi.gov.uk.
  4. The Thames region is supplied by the following water companies : Sutton and East Surrey Water Thames Water Three Valleys Water
  5. The launch of regional reports is in conjunction with the Consumer Council for Water. A series of meetings are planned at which the Inspectorate will present an overview of regional drinking water quality and have Inspectors available for interview.

    6. The dates and regional press contacts are given below :-

    Region Meeting Location Date of Meeting GNN Contact
    Thames Region London 11th July Lisa Browne at GNN London
    Phone: 020 7261 8541

    Issued by GNN on behalf of DWI