- Drinking Water 2025 – Summary of the Chief Inspector’s report for drinking water in Wales
- Foreword
- Introduction
- Water supplies and testing
- Compliance with standards
- Learning from compliance failures
- Learning from events
- Consumer contacts
- Asset health
- Water safety planning and risk assessment
- Poly and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)
- Audit programme
- Recommendations
- Enforcement
- Security and Emergency Measures Direction - SEMD
- Network and Information Systems - NIS
- Materials in contact with drinking water (Regulation 31)
- Research publications
- Whistleblowers
- Working with stakeholders
- Annex A – Number of tests carried out by companies
- Annex B – Compliance with standards
- Annex C – Compliance failures and events
Annex B – Compliance with standards
Microbiological compliance at water treatment works
| Parameter | Standard | Total number of tests | Number of tests not meeting the standard | Number of tests not meeting the standard per company | Percent compliance (3dp) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clostridium Perfringens (sulphite-reducing clostridia) (confirmed) | 0 number/100 ml | 604 | – | 100% | |
| Turbidity – indicator | 1 NTU | 11,940 | 1 | HDC (1) | 99.992% |
| E. coli (confirmed) | 0 number/100 ml | 11,943 | – | 100% | |
| Total coliforms (confirmed) | 0 number/100 ml | 11,943 | 3 | DWR(3) | 99.975% |
| Total | 36,430 | 4 |
Microbiological compliance at service reservoirs
| Parameter | Standard | Total number of tests | Number of tests not meeting the standard | Number of tests not meeting the standard per company | Percent compliance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E. coli (confirmed) | 0 number/100 ml | 19,462 | 2 | DWR(2) | 99.99% |
| Total coliforms (confirmed) | 0 number/100 ml | 19.462 | 18 | DWR(17) HDC(1) | 99.91% |
| Total | 38,924 | 20 |
Microbiological compliance at consumers’ taps (water supply zones)
| Parameter | Standard | Total number of tests | Number of tests not meeting the standard | Number of tests not meeting the standard per company | Percent compliance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coliform bacteria (indicator) | 0 number/100 ml | 8,871 | 33 | HDC(9) DWR(24) | 99.628% |
| E. coli (confirmed) | 0 number/100 ml | 8,871 | 2 | DWR(1) | 99.977% |
| Enterococci (confirmed) | 0 number/100 ml | 751 | 0 | ||
| Total | 18,493 | 35 |
Detection of E. coli and Enterococci at treatment works, service reservoirs and consumers’ taps, by company
| Company | E. coli in water leaving treatment works | E. coli in water leaving service reservoirs | E. coli at consumers’ taps | Enterococci at consumers’ taps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALE | 0 – 0 | 0 – 0 | 0 – 12 | 0 – 12 |
| DWR | 0 – 10,990 | 2 – 15,747 | 1 – 8223 | 3 – 34,960 |
| HDC | 0- 953 | 0 – 3,715 | 1 – 636 | 1 – 5,304 |
Chemical parameters
| Parameter name | Standard | Total number of tests | Tests not meeting the standard | Tests not meeting the standard per company |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,2-Dichloroethane | 3 µg/L | 468 | ||
| Aluminium | 200 µg/L Al | 3,188 | ||
| Ammonium (zone) | 0.5 mg/L NH₄ | 929 | ||
| Antimony | 5 µg/L Sb | 749 | ||
| Arsenic | 10 µg/L As | 749 | ||
| Benzene | 1 µg/L | 468 | ||
| Benzo[a]Pyrene (total) | 0.01 µg/L | 754 | ||
| Boron | 1 mg/L B | 458 | ||
| Bromate | 10 µg/L BrO₃ | 581 | ||
| Cadmium | 5 µg/L Cd | 749 | ||
| Chromium | 50 µg/L Cr | 749 | ||
| Colour | 20 mg/L Pt/Co | 3,225 | 1 | HDC(1) |
| Copper | 2 mg/L Cu | 749 | ||
| Cyanide | 50 µg/L CN | 459 | ||
| Electrical conductivity | 2500 µS/cm at 20°C | 2,997 | ||
| Fluoride | 1.5 mg/L F | 460 | ||
| Gross alpha | 0.1 Bq/L | 1 | ||
| Gross beta | 1 Bq/L | 1 | ||
| Hydrogen ion (pH) – zone | 6.5 – 9.5 pH Value | 3,220 | ||
| Iron | 200 µg/L Fe | 3,188 | 17 | HDC(2), DWR(16) |
| Lead | 10 µg/L Pb | 747 | 2 | DWR(2) |
| Manganese | 50 µg/L Mn | 3,190 | 1 | DWR(1) |
| Mercury | 1 µg/L Hg | 458 | ||
| Nickel | 20 µg/L Ni | 749 | ||
| Nitrate | 50 mg/L NO₃ | 751 | ||
| Nitrite – consumers taps | 0.5 mg/L NO₂ | 751 | ||
| Odour | Acceptable to consumers and no abnormal change | 3,222 | 5 | DWR(5) |
| Pesticides (total by calculation) | 0.5 µg/L | 725 | ||
| Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (total by calculation) | 0.1 µg/L | 752 | ||
| Residual disinfectant – free | 2 mg/L | 8,897 | ||
| Residual disinfectant – total | 2 mg/L | 8,261 | ||
| Selenium | 10 µg/L Se | 749 | ||
| Sodium | 200 mg/L Na | 749 | ||
| Sulphate | 250 mg/L SO₄ | 460 | ||
| Taste (quantitative) | Acceptable to consumers and no abnormal change | 3,220 | 5 | DWR(5) |
| Tetrachloromethane | 3 µg/L | 466 | ||
| Trichloroethene & Tetrachloroethene – sum of 2 substances | 10 µg/L | 464 | ||
| Trihalomethanes (total by calculation) | 100 µg/L | 754 | ||
| Tritium | 100 Bq/L | 1 | ||
| Total | 58,956 | 30 |
Pesticide parameters
| Parameter name | Standard | Total samples | Total failures | Detected pesticides |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Individual Pesticides | 0.1 µg/L | 9,275 | 0 | 0 |
