§ Mr. CrausbyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what the outcome was of the consultation on "Water Quality Consultations on Regulations for Drinking Water"; and if he will make a statement. [142158]
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§ Mr. MeacherThe Government have today issued their response to the consultation on proposed Regulations to implement the new EC Drinking Water Directive (98/83/EC). The new Regulations are also being laid before Parliament today.
The Directive's revised standards take account of the latest scientific and medical advice and also conform generally with the World Health Organisation's 1993 "Guidelines for Drinking Water Quality".
The most important change in standards is a reduction in the maximum concentration of lead from the current standard of 50 µg/1 (microgrammes per litre) to 25 µg/1 by 25 December 2003 and 10 µg/1 by 2013. Excessive exposure to lead is known to damage unborn children and infants.
The new Regulations will continue the arrangement which enables customers who are replacing lead pipes in their properties to require water companies to replace their own lead pipes where the final lead standard is breached. Water companies will also be required to replace their lead pipes or fittings where the water breaches whatever lead standard is in force at the time, whether or not customers are replacing their pipes.
Under the new Regulations water companies must draw up programmes of work to minimise the water's ability to dissolve lead from pipes, to replace lead pipes where necessary and to comply with the other 39 mandatory standards for drinking water quality which the Regulations contain.
Existing arrangements remain largely unchanged for risk assessment, treatment and monitoring for Cryptosporidium. Also, companies will be required to retain basic water quality information on a zone by zone basis for not less than 30 years and to retain other records for a minimum of five years.
Other drafting changes include clarification of which samples must be taken from each point, and the frequency of sampling; and provision for reduced frequencies of monitoring for certain substances and parameters where it is clear that future standards are met, or will be met under a programme of action agreed with the Drinking Water Inspectorate.
The Government conducted a consultation exercise on the proposed Regulations in April this year. A total of 995 responses to the consultation were received. The large majority were concerned solely with proposals to keep national mandatory standards for minimum hardness and sodium. The new Regulations retain a standard for sodium but compliance with the minimum hardness standard will be achieved by administrative means.
The remaining 45 responses came from water organisations and companies, a water consumer organisation, local authorities' Environmental Health Officers, health authorities, Government Departments, Agencies, commercial and other respondents.