Summary

The UK’s tap water safety is at risk due to the closure of all domestic laboratories certified to test water treatment products under EU-derived Regulation 31.

Without certified labs, new products cannot be approved, and existing ones requiring retesting are becoming non-compliant.

Industry insiders blame Brexit, as EU countries will share lab capacity starting in 2026, while UK rules prohibit foreign testing.

This has created a backlog of products, limited market competition, and raised costs. While officials claim water remains safe, experts warn of delays in adopting innovative treatments.

  • towerful@programming.devEnglish
    18·
    12 days ago

    Scottish tap water is a public/government company.
    They do a good job.
    Unfortunately, climate change is impacting the level of reservoirs & water ways (ie, going down), and Scottish people use more water than English people (like 30% more, a substantial amount).
    Hopefully Scottish water continues to be great, and continue to get the funding they need to do a good job

      • towerful@programming.devEnglish
        3·
        12 days ago

        Rusting them girders has become harder since they painted the forth rail bridge with that anti-rust coating!

      • towerful@programming.devEnglish
        1·
        12 days ago

        Not just in Glasgow. Water is a flat rate covered by council tax across all of Scotland.
        It’s likely because we don’t pay for units used, and awareness of water conservation hasn’t happened/stuck.

        • FlorisJan@kbin.melroy.org
          2·
          11 days ago

          That’s what I was thinking. Well there’s always been plenty of water in Scotland afaik but if that’s going to change they’re probably going to start charging for it

  • Teknikal@eviltoast.orgEnglish
    3·
    12 days ago

    I’d say the stuff in Belfast tastes pretty terrible and I wouldn’t drink it, when I was a kid though it was better than now. I’m honestly not sure I’d risk my tap water even if I bought a filter.

  • ryathal@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    2·
    11 days ago

    Blaming the loss of domestic industry on brexit is just wrong. Not having a domestic lab is still bad without brexit, it’s just not headline worthy.