HC Deb 24 February 1993 vol 219 cc632-3W
Sir Teddy Taylor

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the impact on public water supplies of nitrate pollution.

Mr. Maclean

Water supplies in the 2,577 water supply zones in England and Wales are routinely monitored to check their levels of nitrate against the standard of 50 milligrams per litre which is set in the relevant regulations of 1989. Most zones comply fully with this standard but, in 1991, breaches of this standard were found in 94 zones. The water companies have in place improvement programmes to secure compliance with the standard for nitrate by the end of 1995 at the latest.