HC Deb 10 June 1988 vol 134 cc736-8W
Ms. Walley

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list each of the occasions since May 1987 when each of the shower heads, water tanks central heating and all other water tanks and systems at the Palace of Westminster were sampled; if he will publish the results; who carried out the monitoring; and whether any action has been taken.

Date Location Reason for test Result
21 May 1987 Palace of Westminster Engineers Control Warm Water issuing from drinking water tap Sample was chemically and bacteriologically suitable for drinking.
Problem overcome by increasing lagging in adjacent hot water pipe.
4 February 1988 Norman Shaw North Dirty Water Samples were chemically and bacteriologically suitable for drinking.
Problem probably caused by work on Bridge Street site disturbing the water main.
22 February 1988 Sales Office and PSA Tea Point Complaint about skin irritation Water samples would not be expected to cause any skin irritation.
10–13 May 1988 Palace of Westminster Kitchens Outbreak of illness in House of Lords Preliminary results shows adequate chlorine levels and no colorform organisms were detected.

Note: The samples were analysed by the laboratory of the Government Chemist.

Water for hot water services is stored at 60°C and kept at 50°C in the distribution system. No water samples have been taken from shower heads. Nor has water quality sampling been carried out on central heating water tanks.

The cooling towers of the air conditioning system in the Palace and the standby generator serving the underground car park are dosed to minimise microbiological contamination. The water quality is tested by an approved specialist contractor, Betz. All the tests carried out since

Mr. Chope

[holding answer 7 June 1988]: Routine testing of drinking water supplied direct from the water authority's main is not normally required. But bacteriological and chemical tests have been carried out on four occasions since May 1987 for the reasons shown in the table.

May 1987—August and November 1987 and February and May 1988 were satisfactory. In addition, the water in the air conditioning system and boiler plant is chemically tested every month by the same company. All the results have been satisfactory since May 1987.

Water sampling is undertaken in accordance with a PSA technical instruction (No. 22) which incorporates the standards detailed in an EEC directive and current DHSS guidelines.