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UK Water Quality Under Question As Testing Labs Shut Down

The quality of drinking water in the UK could be at risk, as the laboratories that test the products used to clean it have all shut down.

At the same time, Britain cannot use products that have been tested abroad, which could have occurred if the UK was still in the European Union. Therefore, Brits potentially face drinking unclean tap water if new laboratories are not created.

Rules regarding cleaning drinking water

Before drinking water can be deemed safe to consumers, it needs to be cleaned, and the products that do this have to be tested for their safety in a Regulation 31 laboratory. This is under the Drinking Water Inspectorate legislation, which dictates that every item drinking water comes into contact with needs to undergo strict tests.

These certify that the products do not leach dangerous chemicals into the water and they do not lead to the growth of microbes that could be harmful.

Without thorough investigation, it can be very dangerous for consumers to drink water that may be contaminated with chemicals or bacteria.

However, there are no current Regulation 31 labs in the UK, with the three that existed having all been closed since 2021 due to how costly they are to run.

Consequently, no new products can be checked and the existing ones cannot be retested every five years. This means there is little competition in the market, which results in an increase in costs, a decline in quality, and poor compliance.

British Water told The Guardian: “The closure of laboratories offering this vital testing service has not disrupted production lines but also left suppliers struggling to meet stringent requirements of their clients.”

There is currently a backlog of products that need testing, and with no plans to open a new lab in the UK, this list could continue to grow.

Why is the situation different in the EU?

In the EU, however, the situation is very different. From 2026, countries in the EU can share laboratory capacity, which means water providers could use products that have been tested elsewhere in Europe without needing their own labs.

Ceris van de Vywer, director of CV Water Consultancy, told the publication: “In Europe, [there is] a planned harmonisation of standards for EU members by December 2026 as part of the recast Drinking Water Directive.”

She noted that “the events of the last few years means that we are in a different situation”, referring to the UK leaving the EU.

Thanks to Brexit, Britain will not be able to make use of European laboratories, which could have tested new products and kept the industry competitive and the chemicals innovative and effective.

“Manufacturers are finding it frustrating because we can’t get products approved in the UK,” Ms van de Vywer added.

Why is it important that drinking water is cleaned properly?

The reason why this is such a big problem is because it is essential drinking water is kept clean; otherwise, it would not be safe to drink.

Contaminated water can lead to the spread of a lot of diseases. These include cholera, typhoid, dysentery, E coli, giardia, salmonella, and hepatitis A. These are caused by the presence of microorganisms that have not been removed from the water before it is consumed.

In developing countries, waterborne diseases can affect millions of people, and it causes more than half a million diarrhoeal deaths every year.

Closer to home, people can still suffer from waterborne diseases if their tap water is not thoroughly cleaned. For example, a cryptosporidium parasite was found to be in the water supply in Devonshire homes earlier this year.

This left thousands of people unwell, with symptoms including vomiting, stomach cramps, temperature, diarrhoea and weight loss.

The parasite is normally found in stools of infected people or animals, but it can also linger in raw milk, vegetables and waterways. Therefore, their water supply might not have been thoroughly cleaned with good-quality products, enabling the parasite to survive and spread among those who drank it.

Thankfully, symptoms eventually go away on their own, as long as patients can keep fluids in. They also need to implement good hygiene, such as washing their hands with soap and water for 20 seconds, to avoid spreading it further.

However, this is not always the case in less developing countries, which is why waterborne diseases account for as many as 1.4 million deaths every year.

Businesses that want to ensure their staff and customers have access to the highest quality of drinking water might want to switch water providers to one they have more confidence in.