Each year water companies are inspected. The 1995 inspection found that the Company's arrangements for analysis and reporting were generally good and that treatment processes were generally satisfactory. Progress with the extensive programme of improvements was found to be satisfactory, but a small number of schemes were behind schedule and some were not fully appropriate. Fourteen recommendations for improvements in practices were made.

The quality of the water supplied by the Company in 1995 has been generally very good. 99.6% of the 201,282 tests performed by the Company met the standards - the tests were largely made on samples taken from consumers' taps. Of the 0.4% of tests that did not meet the standards some were for coliform bacteria. Each time these bacteria were detected the cause was investigated and any problems identified were corrected. The Inspectorate has identified that further work will be required at one works and one service reservoir where these bacteria were detected and it will obtain a commitment from the Company to do this work. The only other significant failures to meet the standards were for taste, iron, lead, PAH, and pesticides. For each of these substances the Company has completed or is carrying out an improvement programme.

The graph above shows the continued good and improving water quality over the past five years. The Company, as it must, plans to improve the quality even further. It has given legally binding commitments to take steps to improve its water treatment and water mains. This extensive programme covers coliforms, colour, turbidity, taste, nitrite, iron, PAH, lead and pesticides. Most of these improvements were completed by December 1995. The full effect of these improvements should be seen in the 1996 results, but some work, particularly on the water mains, is continuing.

If you want more detailed information about the quality of drinking water in your local area please contact the Company. Their telephone number is 01443 454044.

Drinking water standards in England and Wales include all those in the European Community Directive on drinking water and are mainly based on levels recommended by the World Health Organisation. Those of significance to health have generally been set with a wide safety margin. The occasional breaches of the standards which have happened do not mean the water was not suitable for drinking.

The Inspectorate assesses each breach of the standards and if necessary requires water companies to give legally binding undertakings to carry out improvements.

The summary of the 1995 Report gives the results of tests for England and Wales as a whole and sets out in more detail how the quality of your drinking water is checked and the significance of each of the listed substances. Printed copies of each Water Company Summary, and the Summary of the 1995 Report are available from :