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Information Leaflets

Please note there is a new version of this leaflet HERE

Problems with your Drinking Water

image of a glass of drinking water

Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. What do I do if I have a problem with my drinking water?
  3. What if I have a private water supply?
  4. What if it's not just me?
  5. When does the Inspectorate prosecute?
  6. How can I help?
  7. More information on drinking water quality


Introduction

Although drinking water in England and Wales is generally of very high quality there are very occasionally times when things can and do go wrong. It is part of the Drinking Water Inspectorate's job to look into consumer complaints and investigate incidents which affect or could affect drinking water quality.

What do I do if I have a problem with my drinking water?

image of a glass of drinking water You may now and again have a problem with your drinking water. It should be clear and bright. If it looks cloudy or discoloured or tastes different or smells funny then contact your water company. Enquiry and emergency numbers are listed under WATER in your Telephone Directory.
OR contact us and we will investigate.

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@defra.gsi.gov.uk

If there seems to be an immediate risk to health we will treat it as an emergency. However, in such cases the water company should have taken action immediately.

If it is not an emergency, our aim is to give you an answer within three weeks. If we cannot do that we will tell you what is happening.

What if I have a private water supply?

If your drinking water is not supplied by a water company then you should contact the Environmental Health Department of your local council regarding any problems. A free leaflet providing further information for owners and users of private water supplies is available on this web site.

What if it's not just me?

image of houses Sometimes things go wrong that affect a lot of people. Water companies must tell us about incidents which affect or could affect drinking water quality. We investigate all incidents. If necessary we can require water companies to take action to put things right. We also decide whether there is a case to prosecute a company.


When does the Inspectorate prosecute?

image of notes and poster showing fine We will start a prosecution if we can show that the drinking water supplied was unfit for human consumption and if we do not believe that the water company did all that it might reasonably have been expected to do to prevent the incident.




How can I help?

image of a telephone and letter This depends on the sort of incident we are investigating.





  • Water which tasted, smelt or looked bad.

When we are investigating this sort of incident, we write to people who complained to either the water company or local council and ask them to complete a simple questionnaire about the quality of their drinking water at the time of the incident. We also ask whether or not they continued to use it, if they would be willing to see one of our Inspectors to answer further questions and if they would make a statement.

  • Water which may have caused an outbreak of illness

If illness is involved, we ask the Health Authority to contact those diagnosed as suffering from a complaint linked to drinking water and ask if they will agree to their names being given to us. If people agree to their names being given to us, we then contact them. We ask if they are willing to see an Inspector and if they are, an Inspector will arrange to visit them to ask a few questions about their consumption of water and how and when they were affected by the illness. We may ask consumers if they would be willing to make a statement.

Where can I get more information about drinking water quality?

If you would like more information about drinking water quality you can get it from:

Your water company’s public record

You can see the record at one of the company’s offices. Customer services staff will explain the result of tests and tell you what is being done to rectify any failures. You are entitled to a free copy of the record for the area in which you live. Alternatively, you can write to the company for details.

Your local authority

Water companies are required to give local authorities information about the quality of water supply in their areas.

Our Annual Reports

These are lengthy reports containing a great deal of detailed information about the quality of drinking water in England and Wales. They can be bought from the Stationary Office. You may be able to see a copy at a main library or at your water company’s offices. We also publish a free leaflet each year giving the results of the water company’s monitoring.

Other Leaflets

Printed versions of the above leaflets are available from us free of charge

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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@defra.gsi.gov.uk

Updated 10 July 2002
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