Water: Per- and Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances

(asked on 15th October 2021) - View Source

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to monitor the prevalence of Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in the UK's water supply; and whether he plans to make the results of such monitoring public information.


Answered by
Rebecca Pow Portrait
Rebecca Pow
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This question was answered on 25th October 2021

Water companies are responsible for identifying risks and sampling the drinking water supply for anything that may cause the supply not to be wholesome. This includes the detection of Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS). Although standards for PFAS are not specified in the drinking water regulations, the Drinking Water Inspectorate has provided guidance on concentrations of PFAS in drinking water since 2009 and has recently written to water companies, introducing additional requirements for sampling, testing and monitoring for PFAS in raw water sources from which abstractions are used for drinking water.

Results are shared with the Inspectorate who will assess and decide if further action is necessary. The Inspectorate publishes information on the quality of drinking water where significant and in the public interest here:

https://www.dwi.gov.uk/what-we-do/annual-report/.

This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only.

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