Drinking Water Regulations for Cryptosporidium in England and Wales

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the drinking water regulations for Cryptosporidium in England and Wales. After an outbreak of cryptosporidiosis in 1995 in the Torbay area of Devon where drinking water was strongly implicated, the case against the water company for allegedly supplying water unfit for human consumption was rejected by the Court on the grounds that epidemiological evidence was not admissible. The government decided that new regulations should be made to ensure that drinking water was treated adequately to remove Cryptosporidium . Monitoring has been phased in from 1 April 2000. Where a need for improved treatment has been identified water companies do not have to start regulatory monitoring until the treatment is installed. Early indications from the monitoring results reveal that well operated conventional surface water treatment will meet the treatment standard and that mains drinking water are not a main source of exposure of the population to Cryptosporidium oocysts.