Drinking water in the UK is getting cleaner. A study conducted in 2009 has shown that the water quality in Britain has improved in recent years and consumer confidence has increased as a result.
The news comes as a timely boost for the water industry in the UK as it has been falling short of the EU’s standard of purity tests in recent years. However, the 2009 studies showed that 99.95% of the 2 million tests run on the drinking water in England and Wales reached the high standards imposed by the EU.
The result of this increase in quality has seen a boost in public confidence in the standard of their drinking water. This view was stated clearly by the Drinking Water Inspectorate in her letter to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary for the UK. The number of people contacting the water companies about water quality has also dropped drastically to only 1.1 in every 1,000 people. This decrease of ¼ in the last 3 years serves to demonstrate that consumers in the UK are becoming increasingly pleased with the improved quality of their drinking water.
Despite the progress the UK has made, challenges remain in the coming years. In 2013, the standard for lead content in drinking water will decrease from 25 micrograms per litre to 10 micrograms per litre. It’s remains a case of much done and more still to do for the UK’s leading water companies.