HC Deb 30 November 1994 vol 250 cc726-7W
Mr. Hinchliffe

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to reduce pollution in rivers.

Sir Paul Beresford

We have ensured that the National Rivers Authority has the powers and the resources to maintain and improve the quality of our rivers. Around 90 per cent. of rivers in England and Wales are of good or fair quality.

Mrs. Anne Campbell

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has about the main sources of(a) pesticides and (b) phosphates in the water supply, given in order of importance with the percentage contribution made by each source.

Mr. Atkins

The pesticides most frequently detected in supplies are atrazine, simazine, diuron, isoproturon, mecoprop and chlorotoluron. The first three were mainly used for weed control in non-agricultural situations such as roads, railways and on other hard surfaces. However, the approvals for the use of atrazine and simazine in these situations were withdrawn in August 1993. The other three pesticides are almost exclusively used for weed control in cereals. While concentrations of individual pesticides in drinking water sometimes exceed the legal requirement of 0.1 ilg/litre, there is no evidence that any of these contraventions was of such a magnitude or duration as to endanger the health of consumers. Investment is in hand to deal with these exceedances.

Phosphates can be found in water supplies derived from surface water sources; groundwater sources usually contain insignificant levels. Phosphates originate mainly from sewage effluents, industrial effluents or from agricultural run-off from inorganic fertilisers.

Figures for the percentage contribution for pesticides and phosphates from each source are not available as the respective amounts vary between rural and urban environments and between ground water and surface water sources and at different times of the year.

Mrs. Anne Campbell

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the cost in the last three years to water and river authorities of making water supplies drinkable.

Mr. Atkins

Water industry capital expenditure on the drinking water compliance programme during the period 1990–91 to 1993–94 was around £2.5 billion at 1993–94 prices.

Mrs. Anne Campbell

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the cost of removing(a) pesticides and (b) phosphates from the water supply in each of the last three years.

Mr. Atkins

Information is not available in the form requested. However I understand that capital expenditure by water companies in England and Wales on new treatment to remove pesticides from water put into supply was £122 million in 1992–93 and that in 1993–94 and 1994–95 companies were planning to spend £170 million and £207 million respectively. There is not normally a requirement to remove phosphate from water before it is put into supply as drinking water.