Advisory Standards Board
Drinking Water Quality – Advisory Standards Board
The Standards Board will use science and evidence to make recommendations to Ministers for future updates to standards where there are new and emerging contaminants, updated toxicological data and other areas where standards may be improved in order to protect public health and improve confidence in drinking water.
The Standards Board will comprise a chair and 8 board members recruited for their knowledge and technical expertise, the Drinking Water Inspectorate will provide the secretariat function and undertake the administrative roles to ensure the board can operate efficiently. The current board membership is listed below for transparency.
The Standards Board will operate in an open and transparent fashion, decisions on parameters to be recommended for inclusion in the regulations will be recorded and published in the Board decisions and meeting minutes.
The Standards Board will operate in a 5 yearly legislative review cycle and will set the main agenda for items to consider at the start of this cycle. A list of parameters for consideration will be published so that water companies can assess what data they currently hold and undertake risk assessments against future standards to help inform the Standards Board’s decision. Should any emerging parameter become a concern during this review cycle then the board will add it into the list for prioritisation.
The Standards Board wishes to work with the water Industry to ensure that the recommendations are practical, deliverable and will ensure public health is protected.
Current Board membership
| Board Member | Biography & Expertise |
|---|---|
| Interim Chair – Ann Bunting | EU Exit |
| Martin Bird | Standing Committee of Analysts |
| Dr Sarah Fane | DWI Research Programme Manager |
| UK Health Security Agency representatives | |
| External Vacancy | |
| External Vacancy | |
| External Vacancy | |
| External Vacancy | |
| Secretariat – Tim Williams | Drinking Water Treatment and Water Quality |
| Defra representative – Imogen Wignall | Drinking Water Quality Policy |
Current list of parameters of Interest
| Parameter | Brief Details |
|---|---|
| Chlorite / chlorate | |
| Haloacetic acids | |
| Endocrine disruptors | |
| Microbiological indicators | |
| Microcystin-LR | |
| ‘PFAS’ | |
| PFOA | |
| PFOS | |
| Uranium | |
| Lead | |
| Discolouration metals | |
| Desalination minerals |
Board decisions and meeting minutes
| Meeting date | Agreed minutes | Decision on parameters for recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| 23 March 2023 | ||
| 22 June 2023 | ||
| 21 September 2023 | ||
| 14 December 2023 |