The Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) for England and Wales is emphasising that it does not expect the quality of drinking water in England and Wales to be compromised in any way as a result of Brexit.
The Inspectorate, part of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, was commenting in a new a Position Paper on the status of drinking water quality in England and Wales as the UK exits from the European Union.
The paper sets out how the DWI will continue to uphold drinking water standards and ensure that consumers of public water supplies in England and Wales continue to have access to safe and clean drinking water as the UK leaves the EU.
Pointing out that consumers of drinking water in England and Wales enjoy some of the highest quality water in the world, the paper says:
“The DWI do not expect the departure from the European Union to compromise this in any way.”
“The Drinking Water Inspectorate is committed to maintaining drinking water standards after we leave the EU, and will continue to uphold its obligations through monitoring compliance with the current national requirements and any future national iterations.”
The drinking water quality Regulator said it has been working very closely with the water industry to understand their work on assessing any key vulnerabilities related to the UK ceasing to be an EU Member State.
The primary legislation setting out the Inspectorate’s functions and duties is contained in the Water Industry Act 1991 - water supply matters are also devolved to the Welsh Government by means of the Government of Wales Act 1998.
Standards for drinking water in the UK were originally transposed from the European Drinking Water Directive. Equivalent legislation and regulators exist in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2016 (England) and the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2018 (Wales) set out the regulatory requirements for the quality of public drinking water supplies.
“Water companies continue to be obliged to meet their statutory responsibility of maintaining a clean water supply. As the water quality Regulator, this remains our minimum expectation and we are following their progress closely,” the paper concludes.
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