The drinking water in the United Kingdom comes from various sources, including rivers, upland storage reservoirs, and underground aquifers. Pathogenic microorganisms from different sources is the greatest concern for water supplies, and it is for this reason that water suppliers in the UK make use of a multiple barrier approach and disinfection techniques coupled with a rigorous testing and treatment regime to ensure the quality of the drinking water.
If you have done any travelling, or camped out at all, you will have realised that the drinking water in different areas tastes different. This is due to the various amounts and compositions of the mineral salts such as calcium and magnesium that have dissolve from rocks through which the water passes on its journey before it is extracted for domestic use.
Water is an excellent natural solvent, which means that various substances can be found in drinking water in varying quantities, derived from interaction with the plumbing systems in various buildings, the treatment and distribution process itself, natural organic matter from the breakdown of plants as well as organic matter in the soil, especially in surface waters, and from pollution of various kinds.
Water suppliers manage the quality of drinking water, ensuring that it is safe for domestic purposes, although in most cases it is the partnerships between various players such as the environmental protection agencies, governments, health authorities, local authorities and regulatory agencies, house and building owners, house builders, plumbers and suppliers of plumbing fittings, industry, agriculture and various others with responsibilities that affect the various stages of the water supply process.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) developed the Water Safety Plan (WSP) approach as a framework for all these partnerships. The WSP retains the use of water quality standards but manages drinking water quality on a more holistic and systematic basis. Water UK has been using this approach, whereby all potential risk to water quality, from source to tap, are identified and addressed, for some time already and continue to further develop, refine and formalise the WSP in conjunction with both local and international organisations.
This is obviously working well because the UK has good quality tap water, although some individuals complain about the taste or odour, which is created by the use of fluoride. If you are worried about toxins in the drinking water or do not drink water due to a smell or taste, the best and cheapest way to remedy this is to buy a water cooler that can be attached to your main water supply and fitted with a filter, which will ensure that your drinking water tastes almost as good as natural spring water.
