Water Poisoning (Hansard, 13 November 2003)

§ Lord Whitty

I understand that there are no central, retrievable records of any significant incidents affecting the quality of public drinking water supplies during the period 1970–1980.

Between 1980 and 1990 major incidents affecting the quality of public water supplies were notified to the former Department of Environment. With the exception of a serious incident in July 1988 when the public water supply to Camelford was contaminated with aluminium sulphate, there are very few records of such notifications.

Regional water authorities were privatised in 1989 and the Drinking Water Inspectorate was set up in 1990 under powers in the Water Act 1989. That Act created an offence of supplying water "unfit for human consumption". The Act did not define a meaning of "water unfit". This is left to the courts to decide on the basis of the evidence and circumstances in each individual case.

Proceedings against water companies in England and Wales for supplying such water are initiated by the Chief Drinking Water Inspector acting on behalf of Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the National Assembly for Wales.

227WA

Between 1990 and the end of 1998, the Drinking Water Inspectorate initiated proceedings against eight water companies for supplying water unfit for human consumption on 14 occasions. Most of the cases related to incidents that occurred between 1994 and 1997 and involved the supply of discoloured water. The companies pleaded guilty to the offence in 13 of the cases; the unsuccessful case related to an outbreak of cryptosporidiosis associated with the water supplied.

Since January 1999, there have been 18 prosecutions against nine water companies, mostly involving the supply of discoloured water. All the prosecutions were successful.

Cases of contaminated drinking water in Scotland and Northern Ireland are matters for the devolved Assemblies.