HC Deb 20 June 1988 vol 135 cc454-6W
Ms. Walley

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to make permissible levels of aluminium in the water supply lower than the level allowed under European Community regulations, following recent research suggesting that water that passes these regulations may be dangerous.

Mr. David Young

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, in view of the research findings of Southampton university on the possible link between Alzheimer's disease and aluminium compounds added to water, what immediate action he proposes to take to safeguard the consumer while scientific investigation is carried out; if he will consider alternatives to aluminium compounds; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Moynihan

I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Bolton, North-East (Mr. Thurnham) on 17 June.

Ms. Walley

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he is taking to ensure that water authorities comply with the European Community regulations limiting the levels of aluminium in the water supply; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Moynihan

We have agreed action programmes for the 31 supplies which do not at present comply with the aluminium standard set in the EC drinking water directive, owing to the use of aluminium in the treatment process. Most of these supplies should comply by 1990.

Where aluminium is naturally occurring in water the directive allows the Department to grant derogations. The Department has granted 16 derogations, but has stressed that these should be phased out over the next few years.

The hon. Member is also referred to the statement I made in answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Bolton, North-East (Mr. Thurnham) on 17 June.

Ms. Walley

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list, by water authority areas and their districts, the levels of aluminium in the water supply.

Mr. Moynihan

This information is not held centrally.

Mr. Cousins

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment by how much the water supplied by the Newcastle and Gateshead water company exceeds the European Economic Community limit for aluminium content; and whether he will make a statement.

Mr. Moynihan

The local areas served by the Newcastle and Gateshead water company which have been supplied with drinking water containing aluminium levels above those specified in the EC drinking water directive since the directive came into operation in 1985 are:

  • Rochester
  • West Woodburn
  • Otterburn
  • Wark on Tyne
  • Bellingham

There are about 3,500 people in these areas. However, improvements have been carried out and all the company's supplies now comply with the aluminium standard set in the directive.

Mr. Pawsey

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what conclusion he has reached as a result of the Hatton catchment nitrate study.

Mr. Moynihan

The Hatton catchment nitrate study provides a thorough and useful assessment of the various options for controlling nitrate in water supplies in an area which may have lessons for other areas. The study is being taken into account in the Government's current review of the nitrate issue.

Mr. Maxwell-Hyslop

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will publish a list of water authorities in England and Wales, indicating in each case how much use it makes of aluminium compounds to achieve the characteristics sought in the water which it supplies; and whether his Department is to issue guidance in response to the alleged link between the long-term generation of Alzheimer's disease and the employment of chemicals containing aluminium in the public water supply.

Mr. Moynihan

All water authorities in England and Wales use aluminium compounds in some of their treatment works for the removal of suspended matter from surface waters. Those which make the most use of aluminium are Northumbria, North-West, Severn-Trent, South-West and Yorkshire. With respect to the alleged link with Alzheimer's disease I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Bolton, North-East (Mr. Thurnham) on 17 June.

Mr. Favell

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many people in the Stockport area receive water with aluminium content exceeding European Community permitted levels; what are the levels of aluminium in such water; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Moynihan

About 180,000 people in the Stockport area receive water with aluminium content exceeding the aluminium standard in the EC directive for drinking water. Current concentrations of aluminium are not considered a health risk. I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 17 June to my hon. Friend the Member for Bolton, North-East (Mr. Thurnham).