Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Non-mains Drinking Water

Thursday 6 July 2023 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Private drinking water supplies are regulated by local authorities with support from the Drinking Water Inspectorate.
  • Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council has found the drinking water in nine homes near Aysdalegate unsatisfactory due to bacterial contamination over the last decade.
  • Jim Shannon inquired about the availability of clean drinking water from wells, noting that regulations and concerns have evolved over time.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Simon Clarke Con
Environment
Context

The MP inquires about the mechanisms that exist for supplying safe drinking water to those without access to mains water.

Question

What mechanisms exist to supply safe drinking water to homes without access to mains water?

Answer from Rebecca Pow

Private drinking water supplies are regulated by local authorities, which receive scientific and technical advice from the Drinking Water Inspectorate. Local authorities sample and identify water-quality risks, can serve notices to correct any issues identified and have remedial powers if those responsible for the supply do not comply with the notice. Private water supply compliance is steadily improving. In 2022, 96.4% of private supplies were compliant, up from 91.4% in 2010.

Answered
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Q2 Simon Clarke Con
Housing Environment
Context

The MP discusses a specific case where nine homes in Aysdalegate near Charltons do not have access to mains water and have faced repeated issues with bacterial contamination since 2017. The cost for a quote for mains water connection is over £100 per home.

Question

The nine homes of Aysdalegate near Charltons do not have access to mains water. Over the last decade, Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council has performed drinking water checks nine times, and on all occasions, the supply has been judged unsatisfactory owing to bacterial contamination, including E.coli and enterococci. A regulation 18 notice, which specifies that the water requires boiling before drinking, has been in place permanently since December 2017, and residents report to me finding tadpoles and other life in their drinking water. That is a Dickensian scandal in 2023, but Northumbrian Water has advised that it will cost these low-income homes over £100 each simply to give them a quote for mains water connection. That is obviously unacceptable. Will my hon. Friend agree to meet me urgently so that we can discuss how to help my constituents?

Answer from Rebecca Pow

I am sorry to hear about this issue, which my right hon. Friend has already brought to my attention. Our legislation does allow for those on a private supply to request a connection to the mains supply, but it is right that the legislation allows a water company to charge for the cost of making a new connection, because otherwise it would impact on all customers' bills. The local authority can give advice, and I urge him to keep contacting it, but if there is anything more we can discuss usefully, I would be happy to do so.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The cost of mains water connection quote (£100 per home)

How: Our Legislation Does Allow For Those On A Private Supply To Request A Connection To The Mains Supply, But It Is Right That The Legislation Allows A Water Company To Charge For The Cost Of Making A New Connection

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Q3 Jim Shannon DUP Strangford
Northern Ireland Environment
Context

The MP asks about discussions between the Government and the devolved Administration in Northern Ireland regarding grants for those needing access to mains water.

Question

Like yourself, Mr Speaker, I am of a generation that can well remember when water came from the wells, and it was pure and clean. Times have moved on, and we have realised that such water is not available to everyone, as the right hon. Member for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland (Sir Simon Clarke) said. I ask the Minister this question ever mindful of the discussions that she will have had: have there been any discussions between the Government and the devolved Administration in Northern Ireland to ensure that grants are available for people who need to go on to mains water and that their water is pure, as it was many years ago but is not always today?

Answer from Rebecca Pow

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question; I, too, have a well, but it does not supply our drinking water. I think a lot of people have wells on their properties, or locally on their roads or wherever. The issue he has raised is a matter for the Northern Ireland Administration, but here the Drinking Water Inspectorate has commissioned research into the impact of future private water supplies, as well as the whole regulatory model and legislative framework.

Not addressed: Discussions between the Government and the devolved Administration in Northern Ireland regarding grants for people needing access to mains water

How: The Issue He Has Raised Is A Matter For The Northern Ireland Administration

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