§ Mrs. DunwoodyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what assessment he has made of the danger to public health posed by the contamination of the water supply by(a) viral, (b) retroviral, (c) bacterial and (d) toxic agents; [46939]
(2) what steps the Government have taken to minimise the incidence of pollution of the water supply by (a) viral, (b) retroviral, (c) bacterial and (d) toxic agents; [46937]
534W(3) what steps he has undertaken to assure the prompt reporting of contamination of the water supply by (a) viral, (b) retroviral, (c) bacterial and (d) toxic agents. [46940]
§ Angela EagleThe Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 1989 set standards for some 55 parameters, including microbiological and toxic parameters, which water suppliers must meet. In addition, water supplies must not contain any other substances at concentrations which would be detrimental to public health. The overall quality of water supplies in England and Wales is very high with 99.7 per cent. of over 3 million routine tests meeting the standards in 1996.
The standards are enforced by the Drinking Water Inspectorate. Each of the tests which contravene the standards is assessed by the Inspectorate. There is no evidence that contraventions found during routine tests endanger public health because the standards for parameters of health significance are set with a wide margin of safety. The Inspectorate requires the water supplier to take action as quickly as possible in respect of any contravention that is not trivial and is likely to recur.
Water suppliers are required to notify the Inspectorate immediately of any incident in which the quality of water supplies might be affected. Ninety five incidents were notified in 1997 and most were relatively minor happenings. All incidents are investigated by the Inspectorate. The Inspectorate checks that the water supplier has taken appropriate action to minimise the risk to public health, takes enforcement action against the water supplier when appropriate, and, in exceptional cases when water unfit for human consumption has been supplied, brings a prosecution against the water supplier under Section 70 of the Water Industry Act 1991.