| Mains Water Supplies |
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 99%
of water in the UK is supplied using the mains water system. Mains
water in the UK is regulated by the
Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2001,
which lay down minimum standards and requirements for water. In
addition, all plumbing, systems and fittings which are connected to
the mains water system must be in accordance with the
Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999. |
 What
happens behind the scenes? |
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Water from reservoirs, boreholes, rivers and other sources is
processed at cleaning plants all over the country which are operated
by local water boards. Here, the water goes through a variety of
purification methods, including the addition of chemicals, sand and
carbon filtration, aeration, agitation and flocculation. Lastly,
the water is chlorinated for safe keeping within the pipe network,
and in some areas fluoride is added for its assumed benefits for
teeth and bones. The water is then pumped to the water company’s
service reservoirs, from where it travels through the mains supply
network and into your home. |
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 Who
is in charge of mains water in the UK? |
| Licenses to
abstract water for public supply are granted under the
Water Act 2003, which
modernised the water industry within the UK. Standards are set by
the World Health Organisation, the European Union, and the UK. Water
companies are regulated by
OFWAT, a regulatory body
established in 2006, whilst the supplies themselves are regulated by
the
Drinking Water Inspectorate.
Additionally, the
Consumer Council for Water
represents mains water and sewage consumers in England and Wales.
Further information and advice can be obtained from the
Water Regulations Advisory Scheme. |
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What
is in my tap water? |
| Over 300
different man-made chemicals have now been detected in British tap
water. Water companies test for around 20 of these chemicals.
These twenty chemicals are all present in varying amounts (for
example DDT, Simazine, Atrazine, and 3,4 Benz pyrene, (weed
killers). If you contact your local water board office, they will
give you a copy of the water compliance summary for your area. |
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How
can the mains water supply be contaminated? |
| Chemicals
and contaminants are able to enter the mains water supply at a
number of stages in the supply chain. |
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Environmental causes include fertilizers, pesticides, industrial
waste and pollution, all of which affect our water supply in varying
degrees. Drugs and other chemicals are able to pass through the
human body and enter the water supply. Irresponsible dumping of
household items, such as low-energy light bulbs releases chemicals
such as mercury into the environment, where they are able to
infiltrate the water supply. What gets washed into the rivers, sea
and land of today, ends up in the drinking water of the future! |
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| Faulty
machinery, such as an engine oil leak, can allow toxic and hazardous
substances to seep into the ground and the water table. Old or
damaged pipes, or acidic water conditions caused by other
contaminants, can cause leakage of chemicals into the water supply,
such as lead and copper, which are present in the mains water pipes. |
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| Sometimes,
the potentially hazardous contaminants are added to the water supply
by the water boards to help keep the water safe to drink. Chlorine,
for example, is linked to cancer and heart disease, while aluminium,
a substance linked to brain damage, is added by water boards during
flocculation as aluminium sulphate to help remove particles in the
water. Aluminium, and many other chemicals, are naturally present
in water, occurring as they do naturally in the ground. |
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| New
contaminants are discovered all the time, and new strategies are
employed to clean them. Sometimes, these new methods are hazardous
in themselves, such as the coal tar pitch which was used in the mid
1970s to coat the inside of water mains. This led to the release of
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in tap-water, some of which
are known to be carcinogenic. This was an unexpected outcome which
had great potential for health risks, although most of these pipes
have since been replaced by plastic ones. Whenever new strategies
are employed on a large scale, there may be unforeseen costs and
disadvantages, which can be damaging to the environment and to the
consumer. |
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| Where so many chemicals are being
used, there is also the potential for human error. The wrong
chemical was used in the wrong tank at Lowermoor Treatment Works in
Camelford in 1988, affecting up to 20,000 people with aluminium
poisoning in the UK’s largest ever water poisoning disaster. The
long term health effects of this blunder are still being felt
today. |
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Is
mains water bad for you? |
| We do not
think that mains water is bad. You should not buy our filters or
anyone else's just because of what you read in the papers. That's
there to make papers sell. |
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| However, a
number of the contaminants which are commonly found in mains supply
water are believed to be damaging to health over long periods of
time and exposure, and many of them also affect the taste of the
water. |
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| Human
beings and all living things are able to filter their own systems,
using their kidneys or other biological functions: Using a water
filter means that your kidneys don’t need to work so hard. |
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My
water is from a private supply. Does this mean it is
contaminate-free? |
| Private
water supplies are not subject to the strict rules that mains water
must adhere to, and you may find a wide range of contaminants in
your private water supply. For more information and advice on
a water treatment system, please visit the
dedicated area on
private water supplies. |
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Why
should I install a water filtration system? |
| Filtrations
kits give you control over the water you drink, and offer peace of
mind and extra protection against environmental contamination.
Using a filtration kit allows you to choose which chemicals enter
your body. We in no way condemn the hard work of the water boards,
and the water they supply, or your own private supply! |
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Chlorine is added to mains water to remove bacteria which
gives a very unpleasant smell and taste. you drink chlorine every
day in fluctuating amounts. Would you willingly drink a glass of
water if I put a drop of chlorine (bleach) into it? Sliced
bread keeps fresh because of the plastic wrapping, and is removed
prior to eating. |
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Do
you like the taste of tap water? |
 We
find most people do not.
From our selection
of water filters we can supply you with a water filter that will
remove contaminates and improve the taste. When the water tastes
better so will everything else that you use it for; your cooking,
tea, coffee, all drinks etc.
If
you require a filter and you don’t like the idea of a third tap, we
can supply filters to go inline with your sink tap so that all your
water is then filtered, we don't normally recommend this type
because you use the filter life up when you do the washing up etc.
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| We can supply
different types of filters for different problems. The range is very
large, so if you do not see what you require then, please contact
us. |
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