Consultation outcome

Water quality: updating the public and private drinking water regulations

This was published under the 2016 to 2019 May Conservative government
This consultation has concluded

Read the full outcome

Summary of responses

Detail of outcome

We received 221 responses to this consultation. The amended regulations are being finalised and will be laid in Parliament in June 2018. They will come into force 21 days after being laid.

Detail of feedback received

We received 221 responses to this consultation. We are considering the comments received and we’ll publish a summary of responses shortly.


Original consultation

Summary

Seeking views on updating the public and private drinking water regulations in England.

This consultation was held on another website.

This consultation ran from
to

Consultation description

We want to know what you think about our plans to update the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2016 (‘public regulations’) and the Private Water Supplies (England) Regulations 2016 (‘private regulations’). These changes will only apply to England.

The changes will bring the regulations in line with the Drinking Water Directive. The Drinking Water Directive was updated to reflect World Health Organisation principles for the risk based sampling and analysis of drinking water supply.

We’ll also be updating the public regulations for when a sample must be taken from a tanker and making retail licensees prepare and maintain further documentation.

The private regulations will also make changes to the limits on charging and will allow local authorities to restore a water supply.

Both regulations will also clarify certain aspects of the 2016 Regulations, such as definitions of terms used.

Updates to this page

Published 12 September 2017
Last updated 24 May 2018 + show all updates
  1. Summary of responses added.

  2. Added information about how many responses we've received. Explained that we’ll publish a summary of responses shortly.

  3. First published.

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