Latest news with #DrinkingWaterInspectorate
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
What are nitrates and should we be worried about our tap water?
A water company that has identified rising nitrate levels in raw untreated water is planning to improve some of its treatment sites with almost £50m of investment. Anglian Water says it is being "proactive" with the plans but what are nitrates and are they safe to drink? A number of its treatment sites take raw water from rivers - including the Nar, Wensum and Wissey in Norfolk - which is then treated and distributed to customers. However, the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) has identified seven sites at increasing risk of breaching nitrate levels, which would constitute a potential danger to human health. How is drinking water regulated? Nitrate removal is part of the process for treating water to make it compliant with regulations, which have been laid out by the DWI. The first legal standard for nitrate was set in 1980 and the current drinking standard is 50mg/L. Since the 1990s, water companies have been required to take remedial action when there is a risk of not meeting this standard. Where do nitrates come from? Nitrate is a compound formed from nitrogen and oxygen, and is found in surface water and groundwater where fertilisers have been used on the land. Rainfall is said to wash nitrate out of the soil, which then runs into lakes, rivers and streams. Anglian Water said excess nitrate in the environment was a consequence of modernisation and intensification of agriculture during and after World War Two. Due to the slow travel time of nitrate from the soil surface to groundwater sources, nitrate concentrations recorded today are a result of historical land management. The company warned stricter rules on nitrate limits would further restrict fertiliser use, potentially lowering crop yields and impacting British food security. What are the health implications? Downham Market GP and West Norfolk Independent councillor Dr Pallavi Devulapalli believes it is "extremely unlikely" the nitrate levels could cause a risk to public health. She said: "Nitrates can get into our bloodstream if we drink water that contains too much of them, and that can result in methaemoglobinaemia, which is essentially slightly blue blood, reducing the capacity of the blood to carry oxygen around the body. "They did precautionary tests and found there was a potential for nitrate contamination and were putting measures in place to stop it happening." The DWI said this health condition occurred when nitrate intake was "very high". The last recorded case of methaemoglobinaemia in the United Kingdom was in the 1950s. What is Anglian Water proposing to do? Anglian Water's business plan states it is going to invest almost £50m into its seven existing water treatment sites in Marham, Congham, Ryston, Houghton St Giles, Ringstead, Lyng Forge and North Pickenham. Work on the sites is expected to be completed by 2029. The water company said it had seen rising nitrate levels in raw water prior to treatment and saw the improvements as a way of being able to proactively maintain its current compliance in treated water. It said: "We're working with landowners on long-term solutions to reduce nitrates at the source, but at the same time we're proactively investing in new solutions to remove nitrates through our treatment processes. "This investment is all about acting early to ensure we keep ahead of emerging challenges so we can continue to keep nitrate levels in drinking water within safe limits." Is our tap water safe to drink? The DWI says water companies are required to monitor their sources for nitrate and take action where levels are increasing. It said: "In this case, Anglian Water identified rising nitrate trends and, as part of its business plan, proposed an improvement scheme to manage the risk. "This is a proactive measure and does not indicate that drinking water is currently unsafe. Notices issued through the periodic review process are intended to ensure supplies remain safe and compliant over the long term." It said breaches must be reported so it could be assessed whether public health had been protected and if the company had met its legal duties. Anglian Water said: "We closely monitor the quality of our drinking water, and the treated water we supply continues to meet all drinking water quality standards." Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. More on this story Failing water sector needs stronger regulation, says damning review 'Cool data centres with treated sewage' - water firm 'Our paddleboards come out brown, it's disgusting' Related internet links Anglian Water Drinking Water Inspectorate
BBC News
3 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
What are nitrates and should we be worried about our tap water?
A water company that has identified rising nitrate levels in raw untreated water is planning to improve some of its treatment sites with almost £50m of investment. Anglian Water says it is being "proactive" with the plans but what are nitrates and are they safe to drink? A number of its treatment sites take raw water from rivers - including the Nar, Wensum and Wissey in Norfolk - which is then treated and distributed to the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) has identified seven sites at increasing risk of breaching nitrate levels, which would constitute a potential danger to human health. How is drinking water regulated? Nitrate removal is part of the process for treating water to make it compliant with regulations, which have been laid out by the first legal standard for nitrate was set in 1980 and the current drinking standard is 50mg/L. Since the 1990s, water companies have been required to take remedial action when there is a risk of not meeting this standard. Where do nitrates come from? Nitrate is a compound formed from nitrogen and oxygen, and is found in surface water and groundwater where fertilisers have been used on the land. Rainfall is said to wash nitrate out of the soil, which then runs into lakes, rivers and streams. Anglian Water said excess nitrate in the environment was a consequence of modernisation and intensification of agriculture during and after World War to the slow travel time of nitrate from the soil surface to groundwater sources, nitrate concentrations recorded today are a result of historical land company warned stricter rules on nitrate limits would further restrict fertiliser use, potentially lowering crop yields and impacting British food security. What are the health implications? Downham Market GP and West Norfolk Independent councillor Dr Pallavi Devulapalli believes it is "extremely unlikely" the nitrate levels could cause a risk to public health. She said: "Nitrates can get into our bloodstream if we drink water that contains too much of them, and that can result in methaemoglobinaemia, which is essentially slightly blue blood, reducing the capacity of the blood to carry oxygen around the body."They did precautionary tests and found there was a potential for nitrate contamination and were putting measures in place to stop it happening." The DWI said this health condition occurred when nitrate intake was "very high".The last recorded case of methaemoglobinaemia in the United Kingdom was in the 1950s. What is Anglian Water proposing to do? Anglian Water's business plan states it is going to invest almost £50m into its seven existing water treatment sites in Marham, Congham, Ryston, Houghton St Giles, Ringstead, Lyng Forge and North Pickenham. Work on the sites is expected to be completed by water company said it had seen rising nitrate levels in raw water prior to treatment and saw the improvements as a way of being able to proactively maintain its current compliance in treated said: "We're working with landowners on long-term solutions to reduce nitrates at the source, but at the same time we're proactively investing in new solutions to remove nitrates through our treatment processes."This investment is all about acting early to ensure we keep ahead of emerging challenges so we can continue to keep nitrate levels in drinking water within safe limits." Is our tap water safe to drink? The DWI says water companies are required to monitor their sources for nitrate and take action where levels are increasing. It said: "In this case, Anglian Water identified rising nitrate trends and, as part of its business plan, proposed an improvement scheme to manage the risk. "This is a proactive measure and does not indicate that drinking water is currently unsafe. Notices issued through the periodic review process are intended to ensure supplies remain safe and compliant over the long term."It said breaches must be reported so it could be assessed whether public health had been protected and if the company had met its legal duties. Anglian Water said: "We closely monitor the quality of our drinking water, and the treated water we supply continues to meet all drinking water quality standards." Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
New Statesman
6 days ago
- Climate
- New Statesman
The government's government problem
The Environment Secretary Steve Reed promised to revolutionise the water industry. But what has happened? Photo byThe heavy rain that arrived last week was, for the nation's gardeners, an encouraging sign after what had been the driest spring since 1893. But the sad truth is that relatively little of that water will have ended up in the country's reservoirs, the newest of which was completed in 1992. Most of it ran into our combined sewers, where rainwater is mixed with household waste. The untreated effluent then overflowed into our rivers and inshore waters, giving them a fresh coat of bleach, microplastics and faecal matter, just in time for the school holidays. Fortunately the government had prepared by adding this long-running disaster to the list of things it is planning to do something about, unless anyone has any strong objections. The public wants water companies to stop extracting tens of billions of pounds from a captive market of bill-payers while turning the country's waterways into open sewers. The Environment Secretary, Steve Reed, has promised them a 'revolution'. Will the system be renationalised? Are the most highly remunerated executives going to prison? Will they be forced to swim through the noxious gubbins while a gleeful public pelts them with toilet rolls? Not quite. Ofwat and the Drinking Water Inspectorate will be replaced by a new regulator, hopefully by 2027. Robespierre was not available for comment. On the same day, the Work and Pensions Secretary, Liz Kendall, revealed that she, too, had a revolutionary solution to one of Britain's deep, long-running problems: the fact that very few people of the current generation of workers are saving enough for retirement. Almost half of all working-age adults are putting nothing at all away for later life, and will spend the last 20 years of their lives wholly dependent on the state. This is a slow-moving disaster that can be seen happening from a long way off, and there is a set of options that have been discussed by economists and pension fund companies for decades. Employers could be told that they have to contribute to employees' pensions whether or not employees opt out of paying in (as many people on lower incomes do). Auto-enrolment could start at 16, or as soon as one starts working. The default rate of contributions could be bumped up to 12 per cent. We could make pension contributions mandatory, as they are in Switzerland and for some employees in Australia. But let's not be too hasty: the first step is to bring back the Pension Commission, which will also look at the options, really stare at them, like one of those magic 3D pictures, until the right one pops out. And then it will report to the government in 2027. Both these commitments to doing something, eventually, follow the hotly anticipated 'Leeds Reforms' announced by Rachel Reeves in her Mansion House speech on 15 July. In it, the Chancellor committed to probably doing something about the fact that British companies are underinvested in, and that many British savers are keeping their money in low-interest savings accounts rather than using them to Back British Businesses. Reeves had previously considered making significant changes to cash ISA allowances, but this was a bit contentious, so there will be an advertising campaign, reminiscent of the 1980s 'Tell Sid' adverts, which encouraged the public to buy shares in the newly privatised British Gas. The difference with Thatcher's ad campaign was that Thatcher was actually doing something for Sid to be told about. The thing that was being done (privatisation of state industries) was ideologically driven, inept and ultimately disastrous for the UK economy, but one thing we can say about it is that it did in fact happen. The problem that the Labour government has is that it is a group of very clever, well-intentioned people who do not seem to be able to get things done. The Employment Rights Bill and planning reform are other areas in which good plans are turning into insufficient compromises. The most immediate danger of this trend is that it creates a financial credibility problem. When investors decide how much they will pay for Britain's debt, they are to a great extent making a prediction about two things: the path of inflation (because higher inflation reduces the returns from buying bonds) and how much more debt the government is going to borrow (the more debt it sells, the lower the demand). When the UK is run by a government with a large majority, which is apparently unable to enforce its own policies to save money, a reasonable prediction is that it will have to borrow quite a lot more in the future. This means the market will pay less for our debt, which means our borrowing costs are higher. Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe Politically, this will combine with growing frustration among the government's own MPs, such as the 100-strong Labour Growth Group, which is increasingly resorting to blatant means of criticism, such as fulminating in the New Statesman about 'the exhausted politics of technocratic incrementalism'. Not all revolutionaries need to be Montagnards, determined to write history in blood. As Camille Desmoulins put it, having been sentenced to death on the order of his old pal Robespierre, 'a little ink would have sufficed'. But in times that demand change, withholding it begins to look less like prudence, and more like the narcissism of people whose political project does not extend beyond holding on to power. [See also: Who is an acceptable migrant?] Related
ITV News
21-07-2025
- Business
- ITV News
The radical water fix: New regulator, compulsory meters and higher bills
Sir Jon Cunliffe's final report proposes a 'reset' of the water industry - much like you might try to revive a glitch-riddled computer. He argues that the current system has lost the trust of consumers, companies, and the investors we rely on to fund the response to more extreme weather, population growth, and the pollution of rivers and waterways. The 88 recommendations in his report are designed to restore that trust - albeit over a longer timescale than it takes to reboot a laptop. Cunliffe's main recommendation is the creation of a single, integrated water regulator. In England, Ofwat and the Drinking Water Inspectorate would be replaced by a new body, which would also take on the water and environment-related functions of the Environment Agency and Natural England. In Wales, a similar body would be established. Regulation of the water companies would become 'supervisory' - similar to the way financial regulators oversee banks (Cunliffe is a former deputy governor of the Bank of England). Eight new regional water system planning authorities would be created across England and Wales to ensure that the reservoirs and treatment centres the UK needs actually get built. A new water ombudsman would give 'stronger protection to customers and a clearer route to resolving complaints.' The existing water network is in such a state of decrepitude that vast sums of money will be needed just to upgrade and maintain it. Water bills will rise significantly. Cunliffe recommends the introduction of a National Social Tariff to protect vulnerable households. The current voluntary system is inadequate, capping the annual bill for a single parent on a low income at £91 in Portsmouth, but £364 in Bradford. He also backs compulsory water metering - a change likely to prove unpopular with larger families or those living in big homes in rural areas. The new regulator is intended to be more effective than Ofwat, with greater powers to keep water companies on the straight and narrow. The report recommends giving it 'the power to block material changes in control' and 'to direct parent companies and ultimate controllers.' These recommendations seem written with one eye on Thames Water, which remains debt-laden and on the cusp of nationalisation. Cunliffe says he 'understands' the public anger over bonuses paid to water company executives, but believes the backlash has gone too far. In his view, bonuses can be a legitimate reward for strong performance, but they should 'drive the right culture.' He supports holding senior executives personally accountable for failure but thinks the current regime should be 'streamlined.' Fixing the UK's water industry will take time and money. Water companies plan to spend £104 billion improving and maintaining their networks over the next five years — but they'll need to be able to borrow that money first. Cunliffe argues that Ofwat's approach to permitted 'return on investment' has been too stingy, setting it at a level that 'may have further deterred investors.' Cunliffe was appointed by the UK and Welsh governments to propose reforms to an industry in a state of dysfunction. He was free to recommend whatever solutions he judged necessary - apart from nationalisation, which the government ruled out. Cunliffe says he wouldn't have recommended state control anyway. While acknowledging well-publicised and unacceptable failures, he believes the privatisation of the water industry in 1989 has also delivered real achievements — too easily forgotten, he says. He reminds us that the UK was once dubbed the 'dirty man of Europe.' No longer. In his view, the best way to deliver improvement is not to replace the current system, but to radically overhaul it.
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
'Broken' water industry set to be overhauled - nine key recommendations from landmark report
The system for regulating water companies in England and Wales should be overhauled and replaced with one single body, a major review of the sector has advised. It has recommended abolishing regulator Ofwat as well as the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI), which ensures that public water supplies are safe. The report, which includes 88 recommendations, suggests a new single integrated regulator to replace existing water watchdogs, mandatory water metering, and a social tariff for vulnerable customers. The ability to block companies being taken over and the creation of eight new regional water authorities with another for all of Wales to deliver local priorities, has also been suggested. The review, the largest into the water industry since privatisation in the 1980s, was undertaken by Sir Jon Cunliffe, a career civil servant who oversaw the biggest clean-up of Britain's banking system in the wake of the financial crash. He was coaxed out of retirement by Environment Secretary Steve Reed to lead the Independent Water Commission. Here are nine key recommendations: • Single integrated water regulators - a single water regulator in England and a single water regulator in Wales. In England, this would replace Ofwat, the Drinking Water Inspectorate and water-environment related functions from the Environment Agency and Natural England • Eight new regional water system planning authorities in England and one national authority in Wales • Greater consumer protection - this includes upgrading the consumer body Consumer Council for Water into an Ombudsman for Water to give stronger protection to customers and a clearer route to resolving complaints • Stronger environmental regulation, including compulsory water meters • Tighter oversight of water company ownership and governance, including new powers for the regulator to block changes in water company ownership • Public health reforms - this aims to better manage public health risks in water, recognising the many people who swim, surf and enjoy other water-based activities • Fundamental reset of economic regulation - including changes to ensure companies are investing in and maintaining assets • Clear strategic direction - a new long-term National Water Strategy should be published by both the UK and Welsh governments with a "minimum horizon of 25 years" • Infrastructure and asset health reforms - including new requirements for companies to map and assess their assets and new resilience standards In a speech responding to Sir Jon's report, Mr Reed is set to describe the water industry as "broken" and welcome the commission's recommendations to ensure "the failures of the past can never happen again". Final recommendations of the commission have been published on Monday morning to clean up the sector and improve public confidence. Major other suggested steps for the government include greater consumer protection by upgrading the Consumer Council for Water into an ombudsman with advocacy duties being transferred to Citizens Advice. Stronger and updated regulations have been proposed by Sir Jon, including compulsory water metering, changes to wholesale tariffs for industrial users and greater water reuse and rainwater harvesting schemes. A social tariff is also recommended. Oversight of companies via the ability to block changes in ownership of water businesses and the addition of "public benefit" clauses in water company licences. To boost company financial resilience, as the UK's biggest provider Thames Water struggles to remain in private ownership, the commission has recommended minimum financial requirements, like banks are subject to. It's hoped this will, in turn, make companies more appealing to potential investors. The public health element of water has been recognised, and senior public health representation has been recommended for regional water planning authorities, as have new laws to address pollutants like forever chemicals and microplastics. A "supervisory" approach has been recommended to intervene before things like pollution occur, rather than penalising the businesses after the event. A long-term, 25-year national water strategy should be published by the UK and Welsh governments, with ministerial priorities given to water firms every five years. Companies should also be required to map and assess their assets and resilience This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version. You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow us on WhatsApp and subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.
