K Code for Enforcement and Performance Measurement
- describing the performance targets set in the Inspectorate's Code for Enforcement and the extent to which they have been achieved
K.1 The Inspectorate's Code for Enforcement summarises the regulatory functions of the Inspectorate and the way in which those functions and related activities are carried out. It also establishes quite exacting target times within which the Inspectorate aims to perform its key tasks, enabling annual performance to be measured.
K.2 The latest version of the Code was published in January 1999 and is available on the DWI website at http://www.dwi.detr.gov.uk. It will be further reviewed in the year 2000 and the new version will only be made available on the Internet. Current targets will remain unchanged for the year 2000. The Inspectorate's performance relating to 1999 can only be meaningfully compared with years 1996 to 1998, as the targets within the Code were changed in 1995.
1999 Performance against the Code
K.3 In this report performance has generally been assessed for all tasks with target dates in 1999. However, performance against targets has been assessed for the technical audit of the annual data submissions for 1999, which were not required from water companies until 28 February 2000, and for which target completion dates were in 2000. Performance for these tasks has been assessed up to and including the issue of enforcement letters.
K.4 For 1999, the Inspectorate's performance against the targets set in the Code has been as follows:
Consumer Market Research
All of the five letters notifying the consideration of enforcement action as a result of inspection in 1999 were sent to the company concerned within four weeks of the end of the inspection; 57 of the 58 draft inspection reports prepared by, or under the supervision of, the Inspectorate were sent for comment to companies within 4 weeks of the end of the inspection or receipt of further information; 56 of the 58 final inspection reports were sent to the company within four weeks of receipt of its comments; Final consolidated executive summaries were no longer considered necessary in all cases, although they were ultimately sent to 26 companies, all of them by the target date of 1 April 2000; In 9 of 27 cases the Inspectorate's preliminary assessment of 1999 compliance data was sent within four weeks of receipt of the completed data set from the company; All of the 21 letters sent notifying companies of the consideration of enforcement action as a result of the 1999 compliance assessment were sent within the target of four weeks from the company's response to the preliminary assessment or within eight weeks of issue of the preliminary assessment, whichever was the sooner; 39 draft undertakings and 4 applications for supply point authorisations were dealt with and all of these were processed within the four week response time; 19 extant relaxations due for review on 31 December 1999 were reviewed and revoked or re-issued as appropriate by the due date; 166 drinking water quality incidents were notified to the Inspectorate in 1999, 126 had been assessed by 31 March 2000. In 92 of these cases the outcome was notified to the company within three months of the receipt of all the requested reports. The 40 incidents remaining unassessed by 31 March 1999 required further information to be supplied or awaited completion of DWI assessment; There were 81 applications for approval of chemicals and materials in 1999 and meetings to discuss these applications were arranged within four weeks whenever they were required. In all cases the Inspectorate provided information on progress made at committee meetings within the two-week target. There were 6,821 requests for information received from all sources, and 6,723 requests (98.6%) were met within the three-week response time. Comparisons with previous years are not possible as the figures were calculated on a different basis. 195 water quality complaints were received. 174 (89.2%) were dealt with within the four week response time. One complaint about DWI was received in 1999. Such complaints are required to be investigated by the Chief or Deputy Chief Inspector. This complaint was so investigated and it was found that the Inspectorate had not dealt with the matters at issue in a fully appropriate and satisfactory way and the Inspector concerned was appropriately disciplined. K.5 The Inspectorate conducts consumer Market Research approximately every three years. In 1997, the Inspectorate conducted research on consumers' water consumption habits, information needs and awareness of the Inspectorate. In March 2000, the Inspectorate conducted research on a similar scale comparing some of the data with past results, and exploring two new areas - consumers and effects of the media, and an evaluation of the current DWI website. The main findings were:
Enquiries System
- Consumers' tap/bottled water consumption behaviour has not changed significantly. 86% of people surveyed drink tap water.
- Levels of concerns about tap water amongst various groups were similar to previous findings, with generally there being little concern.
- There has been no significant change in the high level of satisfaction with the quality of water.
- Leaflets remain the preferred method for information.
- Awareness of DWI increased from 5% to an average of 15% since the last survey was conducted.
- The public is generally sceptical about newspaper articles, whether positive or negative, concerning drinking water, regardless of the source.
- Further development of the Inspectorate's website is desirable particularly an educational component.
K.6 A tailored system is now in use to record the handling of enquiries. Each individual enquirer is logged on to the system, which allows the Inspectorate to record the needs of the enquirer, to whom they have been referred, and the date by which the enquiry must be responded to in order to meet the three-week Code target. In future, the system will allow monitoring and reporting of trends in the nature and source of the enquiries. In addition, regular feedback will be sought from consumers to determine the level of satisfaction with the service provided by the Inspectorate.
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Drinking Water Inspectorate,
Floor 2/A1, Ashdown House, 123 Victoria Street, London, SW1E 6DE
Telephone : 020 7944 5956 - Facsimile : 020 7944 5969
E-mail: dwi_enquiries@detr.gov.uk
Published 12 July 2000; Updated 11 July 2001
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