Drinking Water Inspectorate DWI

The Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) is part of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). It was formed in 1990 to provide independent assurance that water supplies in England and Wales are safe and that drinking water quality is acceptable to consumers.

DWI is authorised to enforce measures if standards are not being met. It can also take appropriate action when water is deemed unfit for human consumption.

Additional areas of responsibility include:

• Providing a technical audit of water companies operating practices.
• Assessing water company sampling programmes and results.
• Assessing incidents that could affect drinking water quality or sufficiency.
• Handling enquiries from the public.
• Investigating consumer complaints about drinking water quality.
• Managing water company programmes for improving drinking water quality (including the DWI’s input into the Ofwat periodic review of water prices).
• Managing the DWI’s scientific evidence and Defra’s water quality and health research programme.
• Managing product approvals.
• Managing industry data.
• Overseeing Local Authority enforcement of regulations for private water supplies.

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• BS 8680:2020 Water quality. Water Safety Plans. Code of practice.
• Consumer Council for Water CCWater.
• Do our water quality standards demonstrate to the public that their water supply is clean?
• Drinking water quality.
• Drinking Water Quality Regulator for Scotland DWQR.
• Environment Agency.
• Ofwat.
• Water safety plan WSP.