HC Deb 18 July 2003 vol 409 cc827-9W
Tom Brake

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what comparative studies of the health impact of bottled and tap water the Drinking Water Inspectorate have conducted recently. [126551]

Mr. Morley

The Drinking Water Inspectorate has not commissioned any comparative studies on the health impact of bottled water and tap water.

Tom Brake

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the safe limits are used by the Drinking Water Inspectorate for(a) minerals and (b) other trace elements found in bottled waters. [126624]

Miss Melanie Johnson

I have been asked to reply.

I am advised by the Food Standards Agency that the Natural Mineral Water, Spring Water and Bottled Drinking Water Regulations 1999 (as amended) set safe limits for a wide range of minerals, including trace elements, in bottled waters.

indication of the tariff rate and may be subject to substantial changes as the price of a commodity will vary from consignment to consignment.

Tom Brake

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of companies producing tap water are tested by the Drinking Water Inspectorate; what the frequency of testing is; how many companies producing tap water have failed these tests in each of the last six years; and what the safe limits are used by the Drinking Water Inspectorate for(a) minerals and (b) other trace elements found in tap water. [126625]

Mr. Morley

The role of the DWI is to audit all the statutory water companies in England and Wales. The companies are required to undertake sampling and analysis of public water supplies in accordance with the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 1989 and subsequent amendments. These Regulations set out the frequency of monitoring, the locations where the samples have to be taken and the standards that have to be met. The regulatory standards incorporate those set out in the EC Directive on the quality of water intended for human consumption (80/778/EEC), which in turn are based on the World Health Organisation guideline values for drinking water quality. There are currently 26 water companies. In the last six years water companies have only experienced occasional failures of a standard. The level of compliance for all water companies rose from 99.75 per cent. in 1997 to 99.87% in 2002. The WHO guideline values for various constituents of drinking water, including certain minerals, represent the concentration of a constituent that does not result in any significant risk to consumers' health, usually over a lifetime of consumption.

Tom Brake

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of brands of bottled water are tested by the Drinking Water Inspectorate; what the frequency of testing is; and how many brands have failed these tests in each of the last six years. [126628]

Miss Melanie Johnson

I have been asked to reply.

I am advised by the Food Standards Agency that local authorities enforce the Natural Mineral Water, Spring Water and Bottled Drinking Water Regulations 1999 (as amended) which specify the frequency of testing for each of the three forms of bottled water. No central information is held on the results of these tests.

A survey of bottled waters published by the Food Standards Agency in August 2002 showed that none of the 161 samples tested for antimony, arsenic, nickel or bromate contained these substances above the limits in the regulations.