Archived press release

Pesticide Pollution of Drinking Water

28 June 1996

The European Commision today announced that it would be taking legal action against the UK Government over illegal levels of pesticides in drinking water. This follows on from the action begun by Friends of the earth (FOE) in 1988 which challenged the Government's failure to enforce compliance with legal standards for pesticides in tap water.

Roger Lilley, Industry and Pollution Campaigner at Friends of the earth, said:

"This case has exposed the Government's deliberate use of vague legal devices, known as "undertakings", to protect the water suppliers from any real risk of legal action by the consumer. The Government has wriggled through a loophole in national law that the European Court will hopefully close by insisting on enforcement orders for drinking water quality. The Governement has merely succeeded in buying more time to achieve compliance with EC drinking water laws - compliance that is more than 10 years overdue."

The legal limit for pesticides in drinking water was set 16 years ago in 1980 and the standards should have been achieved by 1985. FOE estimated that, in 1992, around 14.3 million consumers in England received drinking water containing levels of pesticides above the legal standard at some time. Nearly fifty different pesticides had been detected in drinking water (in England) between 1990 and 1993. The UK Government is pressing the European Union to relax the pesticide standards; this would have the instant effect of legalising most breaches and would avoid further possible embarrassment in the European Court of Justice.

FOE have called for a tax on pesticide manufacturers to pay for the costs of drinking water treatment. The cost to consumers of pesticide removal from drinking water is estimated at around 1 billion in capital expenditure alane.

An EU official today highlighted London as an area where pesticide levels in drinking water are "not in compliance".

CONTACT : Roger Lilley on (020) 7566 1685 (wk), (01223) 570884 (ho)

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust