
The safety of UK tap water could be under threat as the country faces a critical shortage of certified laboratories to test water treatment products. Industry insiders have warned that this gap leaves water companies unable to approve new products or retest existing ones, both of which are vital for keeping contaminants out of drinking water.
Under UK regulations, all chemicals and materials that come into contact with drinking water must meet stringent safety standards through certified testing. However, the closure of all three UK-based certified labs since 2021 has halted this process. This means that innovative products designed to improve water safety cannot be approved, and some existing ones can no longer be used as their certifications lapse.
The consequences of this issue were starkly highlighted earlier this year in Devon, where thousands of people fell ill after the cryptosporidium parasite contaminated the water supply. Businesses and schools were forced to close, and residents had to boil tap water for a month. Such incidents underline the importance of maintaining rigorous testing and approval processes.
Experts have called this a “Brexit problem,” pointing out that EU countries will share laboratory capacity from 2026 under harmonized standards. If the UK were still part of the EU, water companies could utilize these resources. Instead, UK rules mandate that testing must occur domestically, leaving no immediate solution to the backlog of products awaiting approval.
Despite reassurances from the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) that there is no immediate risk to consumers, water industry professionals remain concerned. The director of CV Water Consultancy, Ceris van de Vyver, stated: “We are operating safely, but manufacturers are finding it frustrating because we can’t get products approved in the UK.”
With no timeline for reopening certified laboratories, the situation poses ongoing risks to water safety and could drive up costs for consumers. The trade group British Water has warned that this disruption not only limits competition in the market but could also reduce service quality in the long term.
Maintaining the UK’s high drinking water standards requires urgent action to address this critical gap in testing capacity.
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