Committee publication · Correspondence · 10 April 2025
Correspondence from the Drinking Water Inspectorate regarding its investigations, dated 28 March 2025
From: Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Inquiry: Reforming the water sector
Summary
The Drinking Water Inspectorate provides detailed data on water quality events, security breaches, and cybersecurity incidents reported between 2015 and March 2025. It reports 5,226 total events under Water Supply regulations, with increasing ongoing investigations in 2024–2025 (61 and 58 respectively). The Inspectorate has taken 318 enforcement actions, issued 11 cautions, and secured 8 prosecutions resulting in fines totalling over £1.8 million since 2015.
Key findings
- Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations events: 556–638 reported annually 2015–2024; 2024 saw 638 events with 61 ongoing investigations; 2025 (to 10 March) shows 121 events with 58 ongoing—indicating a surge in pending caseload.
- Event severity classification: 2,135 classified as Minor, 1,573 as Significant, 221 as Serious, and only 5 as Major across all investigated events since 2015.
- Enforcement actions: 318 legal instruments served, 11 cautions issued, 3 warning letters, and 8 prosecutions (9 offences) resulting in total fines exceeding £1.8 million; two prosecutions and one high-profile 2024 investigation currently ongoing in court.
- Security and Emergency Measures Direction: 29 events reported 2022–2025 (becoming DWI responsibility in 2022); 3 ongoing investigations as of March 2025.
- Network and Information Systems (NIS) Regulations: 27 mandatory and 23 voluntary incidents reported 2018–2025; cybersecurity events increasing (9 mandatory in 2024 with 6 ongoing; 3 voluntary ongoing in 2025).
Tone
FactualTopics
Key actors
Drinking Water Inspectorate, Marcus Rink (Chief Inspector of Drinking Water), Alistair Carmichael MP, Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, Wessex Water Services Ltd, Southern Water Services Ltd, Thames Water Utilities Ltd, United Utilities Water Plc
Notable line
“The longest outstanding event is seven years. For this reason, it is not possible to provide a target reporting date for ongoing event investigations by the Inspectorate.”
Key Quotes
“The Inspectorate does not specifically allocate a dedicated resource to each investigation because, for instance, in 2024 a total of 667 events were reported to the Inspectorate and each event individually requires investigation.”
“We cannot put a target date for those investigations which are currently ongoing in court or where there is an investigation which may result in a prosecution because the processes of the court are not in the control of the Inspectorate.”
“Some event assessments are relatively simple and can be completed within 30 days of the company's final report submission, whilst others are more complex requiring an in-depth investigation with site visits, evidence collection, statements, expert analysis, and liaison with external stakeholders, legal teams, and court procedures.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗