We all expect the water from our tap to be reliable, safe, and high-quality.
The Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) is the independent regulator responsible for the safety and quality of the public water supplies in England and Wales.
Delivering on that purpose has required solving a set of complex interrelated challenges, and developing a new approach to regulation.
Marcus Rink, Chief Inspector at the DWI, describes the journey on this episode of The Purposeful Strategist.
Marcus is the technical regulator for the water industry for England and Wales ensuring over 15 billion litres of water is safely supplied by the water industry to 55 million consumers daily. He is responsible for the independent scrutiny of the water industry discharging a range of statutory and non-statutory duties as delegated by the Secretary of State for England and the Welsh Government.
As a professional regulator and Chartered Scientist for over 25 years and with a total career spanning 35 years in leadership roles, health, public analysis, and the water industry, together with being a published author on innovative and better regulation and risk-based security for the water industry, this makes him exceptionally qualified as the national authority for drinking water regulation.
The Drinking Water Inspectorate was established by Parliament in 1990 to provide independent assurance that the privatised water industry in England and Wales delivered safe, clean drinking water to consumers. The work is wide-ranging, covering all aspects of the quality of public water supplies, network and information systems which covers cyber security within the water industry, and for security and emergency measures in an emergency to maintain a water supply and/or sewerage system.
Provisions for enforcement are formally delegated to the Chief Inspector by Ministers and any proceedings against undertakers and others who supply water unfit for human consumption being vested directly in the Chief Inspector. The Inspectorate’s day-to-day operations are independent from government. For example, the Inspectorate manages its own evidence programme; the Inspectors deal directly with consumers and the media seeking information about drinking water safety and regulation; and the Inspectorate has its own website. The Inspectorate’s operational performance is monitored routinely by formal and informal liaison with Welsh Government and Defra officials and is reported publicly in its business performance report and produces independent reports to Ministers in both England and Wales on the operational performance of the water companies that it regulates.
Marcus Rink