Drinking Water Quality

The Government Laboratory has a wide range of both chemical and microbiological test methods in place to enable the assessment of the quality of water and its suitability for drinking.

Routinely applied tests include looking for the presence of common bacteria that can cause illness or which indicate inadequate purification of the water, contamination by metallic impurities that might be leached from the ground in areas from which the water is drawn, and abnormalities such as acidity or excessive residue of chemicals from treatment processes. Other tests may be applied from time to time in the event of any specific problem being identified or suspected.

Public Water Supply

The Government Analyst has a statutory duty to sample and analyse the public water supply on the Isle of Man and report on its quality.

On the Island the public water supply is provided by the Isle of Man Water Authority, to seven defined supply areas.

Private Water Supply

In addition to the mains public water supply, some properties have private water supplies. These are sampled periodically, usually by Environmental Health Officers, and submitted to the Government Laboratory for assessment of chemical and microbiological quality, following which a report is issued identifying any deficiencies found.

Bottled Water

Water sold in containers is covered by the requirements of the Food Act 1996 and subordinate legislation, and may be sampled by Environmental Health Officers for analysis at the Government Laboratory to verify that it complies with all relevant requirements, including any claims made of the label.

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