Water Pollution

Water Quality in Westminster

Over the past decade the Health and Safety and Environmental Sciences Teams have been undertaking several monitoring projects involving drinking water, private water supplies, recreational water and swimming pools.

Mains drinking water

The mains drinking water project was shared with many other London and south east England councils until 2004. There has been an annual increase in compliance to current levels of over 99.8%. Thames Water Utilities plc has delivered significant water improvements in London in the last 10 years. Legislation governing water supplies continues to get stricter and it is good to note that Thames Water has a programme in place to meet the required improvements. Water quality problems are often due to problems at the supply end; in particular in large multi dwelling housing blocks.

Until the project ended in 2004 samples were taken from consumer taps  for compliance with water quality standards in the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 1989 and the EC Directive 80/778/EEC.

Westminster is served by Thames Water Utilities Limited whose water supplies are derived from chalk bore-holes and by Thames Water Utilities Limited, the sources of which are predominantly storage reservoirs, although some underground supplies are used.

Enforcement on water quality in Westminster and the whole of the UK is undertaken by the Drinking Water Inspectorate.

Private Drinking Water Supplies

The regulation of deep well water supplies is a statutory function under the Private Water Supply Regulations 1991. There were six active private water supplies, until about 5 years ago, both commercial and residential, under our jurisdiction.

In 2009 there is only one private water supply taking water from deep wells into the aquifer deep under London.

Swimming Pools & Spa Pool Monitoring

Stage One: Testing	Stage Two: Analysis

The Spa Pool project was implemented to inform Health & Safety risk assessments for commercial premises; although a number of solely residential and education facilities were monitored as well. Pool water treatment is a complex area that has scope for improvement in some clubs and leisure centres.

Public Recreation Areas

Drinking water fountains had been monitored in public parks and recreation grounds, this was to assess the hygiene of the water distribution systems and outlets. An assumption is made that the mains water supplied by Thames Water is generally 'potable' or of drinking quality and that if failures occur it is the fault of the park's internal water distribution system. General surveillance had also been made of the cleanliness of ornamental fountains, boating waters and swimming ponds.

The impetus behind water quality monitoring is the advice and direction we receive from the Public Health Laboratory Service (PHLS) and the Communicable Disease Centre (CDC). All London councils were encouraged to take various surveillance samples and to participate in greater London programmes run by the PHLS who in turn analyse the microbiological samples for no charge. This report is a way of compiling these PHLS samples and including them with chemical and inspection results for these projects and premises.

Water monitoring is fundamental public health work with a long and illustrious history especially in Westminster. This is the home ground of Alexander Fleming, John Snow, Joseph Bazalgette and many other public health pioneers.

All public drinking water fountains are sampled to ensure compliance with microbiological standards laid down in The Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 1989.

Contact the Environmental Sciences team here:

Online request

Telephone: 020 7641 3161