Drinking water

• Drinking water in 2008 was generally of good quality.
• 99.96% of the 599,041 tests on our drinking water passed drinking water standards in 2008
• In 2008 there were fewer detections of coliform bacteria at water treatment works. 
• 12% fall in the number of consumers reporting problems with their drinking water since 2006.

We all expect safe and clean drinking water.

The Drinking Water Inspectorate are responsible for ensuring that the water companies in England and Wales supply water that is safe to drink and meets the standards set in the Water Quality Regulations. Inspectors carry out technical audits of each water company. These include an annual assessment of the quality of drinking water supplied by the companies and inspections of the individual companies

The Government has set legal standards for drinking water in the Water Quality Regulations (based on World Health Organisation guidelines). The UK also has additional standards to safeguard the already high quality of water in England and Wales. These standards cover:

• Bacteria
• Chemicals such as nitrate and pesticides
• Metals such as lead
• Look and taste

Drinking water in the South West is supplied by Bournemouth & West Hampshire Water, Bristol Water, Cholderton & District Water, South West Water, Wessex Water and some parts by Thames Water and SSE Water.

Much of the water in the region is derived from surface water (67%) abstracted from rivers such as the Severn, Avon (Hampshire), Dart, Exe, Fowey, Stour and Tamar. There is a major transfer of water into the region via the river Severn from reservoirs in Wales which provides half of the daily supply for consumers in the Bristol Water area. Additionally, the upland areas of Bodmin, Dartmoor, Exmoor and Mendip are important catchments for water resources in the region. Surface water is drawn from many reservoirs including Clatworthy, Colliford, Roadford and Wimbleball.

1,194 million litres per day of drinking water was supplied to a population of 4,282,470 in the Western region in 2008.  This covers water supplied by Bournemouth & West Hampshire Water, Bristol Water, Cholderton & District Water, South West Water, Wessex Water. 

Two inset appointments (where one water company replaces the statutory duties of another in a specified area) were in place during 2008; Thames Water and SSE Water.

The 2008 Drinking Water Quality report is now available to download. The Western region report describes drinking water quality in the Western region which is served by five water companies delivering water supplies to over four million consumers. (Bournemouth and West Hampshire Water, Bristol Water, Cholderton and District Water, South West Water, Wessex Water).

Drinking water quality in 2008 was generally of good quality.  99.96% of the 599,041 tests carried out by the six water companies met the standards set down in the regulations.

There were 19 water quality incidents reported to the Drinking Water Inspectorate, compared to the 10 reported in 2007.

• Drinking Water Inspectorate

• Drinking Water Quality reports

• Drinking Water Quality Western Region report 2008