The quality of tap water supplied by South East Water is amongst the best in the world, according to the Drinking Water Inspectorate.

In its annual report, published this week, the DWI figures showed that almost 99.8% of all the 42,300 tests taken during 1998 met the UK’s stringent quality standards.

Head of Water Quality, Howard Handley said:

“We are constantly working to ensure our customers receive top quality drinking water. We take samples every day of the year, and every step of the way, from untreated water at source right through the treatment process and finally at customers’ taps.

We are making significant investment in improving our water mains distribution system to ensure that the water we supply remains at this very high standard. Last year alone, nearly 230 kilometres of mains were either relined or replaced.”

The report comes hot on the heels of a recent survey carried out in Central London where 70% of tourists who tried the taste test, thought that British tap water is better than the tap water in their own countries.

Editors Notes: The DWI report refers to South East Water which in 1998 supplied water in Sussex and Kent. The company joined with its sister company, Mid Southern Water on 1 January 1999. Mid Southern Water achieved the figure of over 99.8% of the 50,000 tests taken during1998 meeting the water quality standards as above. The new South East Water supplies 1.5 million people with 400 million litres of water every day, in Hampshire, Surrey, Berkshire, Sussex and Kent.
The survey was carried out by Water UK, with tourists from more than 20 countries taking part.