This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Results of Water Quality Report
02/12/2002
The record levels of investment in Scotland's drinking
water are continuing to drive up quality standards, a
report concluded today.
Environment and Rural Development Minister Ross Finnie
said the results from the twelfth annual report into
Drinking Water Quality in Scotland gave new unitary water
authority Scottish Water a "solid foundation" to continue
the drive to increase standards.
The Minister said:
"These results show that the £462 million investment
programme undertaken by the three Scottish water
authorities on water mains renewal and treatment works
during 2001/02 is paying dividends.
"The creation of Scottish Water demonstrated the
Scottish Executive's commitment to preserving public health
by maintaining and improving the standards of drinking
water in Scotland. The £1.8 billion investment programme
which the authority is outlining over the next four years
will continue the strive to improve standards.
"I am committed to ensuring that Scottish Water
maintains the momentum of such improvements in drinking
water quality."
The report showed that 99.3% of drinking water samples
passed strict quality criteria in 2001 compared with 99% in
2000.
Mr Finnie said the appointment of Drinking Water Quality
Regulator Tim Hooton would ensure that the regulation of
the water industry in Scotland was done in a diligent and
professional manner, but highlighted that improvements were
still necessary.
Despite the continued trend in improving drinking water,
the report cited that there were still areas where further
improvements are needed, in particular the problem of
trihalomethanes (THMs) which are by-products from the
disinfection process.
The 2001 Water Quality Report can be found at:
www.scotland.gov.uk/publications
The drinking water quality results published by the
three Scottish water authorities for 2001 show that there
were fewer water quality failures in 2001 than in 2000.
Over 148,600 tests were carried out on samples of water
taken from customers' taps during 2001 and 1,147 of the
tests failed to meet the relevant standard. This compares
with 1,539 failures at customers' taps during 2000 from
over 151,000 tests.
Key microbiological parameters are (Total ) coliforms
and Eschericha coli (E. coli). If coliform organisms are
detected, but no E.coli, the probability is that pollution
is via soil or vegetable contamination or possibly a
warning that more serious pollution could follow especially
after heavy rain. The detection of E.coli in drinking water
supplies provides clear evidence of faecal pollution. The
results for the key microbiological parameters show that
there were fewer failures of the strict microbiological
standards in 2001 compared with 2000. The 152 failures of
the coliform standard at customers' taps in 2001 compares
with 207 in 2000. The number of faecal coliform failures
fell from 45 in 2000 to 32 in 2001. The number of coliform
tests not meeting the standards at customers' taps in 2001
was less than 9.3% of that recorded in 1991, which was the
first full year of the Regulation's operation. Significant
improvements have therefore been made since the
introduction of the Regulations, although further work is
clearly required.
The principal reason for poor THM compliance is that the
improvements in the microbiological quality of water
supplies have, at the same time, resulted in an increase in
the failure rate for trihalomethanes (THM). Trihalomethanes
occur in drinking water as a result of the reaction between
chlorine and naturally occurring organic materials. The
World Health Organisation has stated that in controlling
trihalomethanes, primary consideration should be given to
ensuring that disinfection is never compromised. The use of
chlorine is a short-term solution and as the investment
programme advances the introduction of better water
treatment technology the reliance on the use of chlorine
will be reduced.
Water authority recognition that measures must be taken
to improve disinfection practices is reflected in the large
number of legally binding undertakings to carry out
improvements to address the THM problem and is embodied in
the authorities' ongoing investment programmes.
Scottish Water, the new unitary water authority for
Scotland took over from East of Scotland Water (ESW), North
of Scotland Water (NoSWA) and West of Scotland Water
(WoSWA). The authority assumed its powers on 1 April as a
result of the Water Industry (Scotland) Act. That Act also
established the Drinking Water Quality Regulator for
Scotland, who is responsible for regulating the quality of
public drinking water supplies independently of
Ministers.
Copies of Drinking Water Quality in Scotland 2001 are
available from the Stationery Office Bookshop, 71 Lothian
Road, Edinburgh EH3 9AZ. Telephone 0870 606 5566.