Enforcement Policies
Our three Enforcement Policies are in accordance with the Regulators’ Compliance Code and the regulatory principles required under the Legislative and Regulatory Reform Act 2006. In developing the Enforcement Policies, we have also had regard to the Enforcement Policy of Defra, the Investigator’s Convention (2009) sponsored by the Government National Investigator’s Group and the revised Prosecutors’ Convention (2009).
They set out the general principles and approach which Drinking Water Inspectors are expected to follow. All DWI staff who take enforcement decisions are required to follow the relevant Enforcement Policy.
The list of prosecutions, cautions, and warning letters are available on our Events and Prosecution page.
Minor Amendments
The Inspectorate will always consult on major changes to any of the enforcement policies. Minor changes and corrections are detailed here for transparency.
| Policy | Date of amendment | Details of amendment |
| Drinking Water Quality | 11 July 2025 | Additional wording added to the Suggestion and Recommendation lines of table 1 to make it clear that suggestions and recommendations can be made for other enforceable duties, as well as the regulations. |
| Network and Information Systems | 11 July 2025 | Corrected some values downwards in the Reckless and Negligent categories of tables 9 and 13 (materials breaches with no impact), as previously some were higher than potential or actual impact on essential service. |