The Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) is a section of
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) set up to regulate the public
water supply
Water supply is the provision of water by public utilities, commercial organisations, community endeavors or by individuals, usually via a system of pumps and pipes. Public water supply systems are crucial to properly functioning societies. Thes ...
companies in
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
and
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
.
Based in
Whitehall
Whitehall is a road and area in the City of Westminster, Central London. The road forms the first part of the A3212 road from Trafalgar Square to Chelsea. It is the main thoroughfare running south from Trafalgar Square towards Parliament Sq ...
, it produces an annual report showing the quality of and problems associated with drinking water. Its remit is to assess the
quality
Quality may refer to:
Concepts
*Quality (business), the ''non-inferiority'' or ''superiority'' of something
*Quality (philosophy), an attribute or a property
*Quality (physics), in response theory
* Energy quality, used in various science discipl ...
of
drinking water
Drinking water is water that is used in drink or food preparation; potable water is water that is safe to be used as drinking water. The amount of drinking water required to maintain good health varies, and depends on physical activity level, a ...
in England and Wales, taking enforcement action if standards are not being met, and appropriate action when water is unfit for human consumption.
It is also responsible for reporting on drinking water quality to the European Union under the European Drinking Water Directive (DWD),
Council Directive 98/83/EC
The Drinking Water Directive 20202020/2184 is an EU law that protects the quality of drinking water and forms part of the regulation of water supply and sanitation in the European Union.
Contents
The Directive is intended to protect human heal ...
, which concerns the quality of water intended for human consumption.
The European Commission's Environment DG web site
Accessed 5 October 2007 In addition, it provides advice to DEFRA on the transposition of European water legislation in England and Wales.
References
External links
Official website
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Water supply and sanitation in England and Wales
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