§ Mr. AingerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the memorandum on safeguards in the operation and management of public waterworks still applies to the privatised water companies; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MacleanThe memorandum has been replaced by "Operational Guidelines for the Protection of Drinking Water Supplies", published in 1988 by, and obtainable from, the Water Services Association. The advice given is not mandatory. It complements the legal requirement to provide wholesome water.
§ Mr. AingerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what research his Department has carried out in the last five years into the possibility of cross contamination in the water industry.
§ Mr. MacleanDuring the last five years, the Department has commissioned two research projects about backflow which could lead to contamination of water supplies. The first, which started in 1988, is to evaluate the degree of protection afforded by a range of mechanical devices designed to prevent backflow. The second, which started recently, is to study information on events which might lead to backflow. Both are due for completion in March 1993.