These Regulations amend the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2016 (S.I. 2016/614) (“the 2016 Regulations”). The amendments principally implement the requirements of Commission Directive (EU) 2015/1787 which amended Council Directive 98/83/EC on the quality of water intended for human consumption. The purpose of those amendments is to align the principles applying in the EU in respect of risk based sampling and analysis of drinking water with those of the World Health Organisation.

The Regulations in particular update the requirements for monitoring programmes put in place by suppliers of drinking water, which set minimum sampling frequencies in respect of particular parameters in water intended for human consumption. The Regulations also introduce a new risk assessment approach. Where the criteria of that approach are met, suppliers of drinking water are permitted to reduce the frequencies for the sampling and analysis of water. Further, the Regulations provide the specifications for the methods of analysis of certain parameters and performance characteristics of all parameters.

Regulation 3 contains transitional and saving provisions which give a water undertaker or wholesale licensee choice of continuing to use certain pre-existing analytical methods (with modifications) instead of the replacement methods introduced by these Regulations for any period ending before or with 31st December 2019.

Digital and hard copies of the British standards referred to in these Regulations published by the British Standards Institution can be purchased online from the BSI Group at http://www.bsigroup.com. Hard copies of the standards can also be purchased by post from the BSI Group Customer Services Department at 389 Chiswick High Road, London W4 4AL (Tel: 0345 086 9001).

Digital and hard copies of the ISO standards referred to in these Regulations can be purchased online from the International Organization for Standardization (http://www.iso.org). They can also be purchased online from the BSI Group internet address mentioned above and in hard copy form from the BSI Group at the postal address mentioned above.

Copies of the British and ISO standards referred to in these Regulations are available for inspection free of charge during normal office hours at the offices of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs at the address mentioned below.

The explanatory memorandum and transposition note in respect of these Regulations are available in hard copy from the Water Quality Team, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, 3rd Floor, Seacole Block, 2 Marsham Street, London SW1P 4DF and published alongside these Regulations on www.legislation.gov.uk.

An impact assessment has not been prepared in respect of these Regulations as no impact on the private, voluntary or public sectors is foreseen.