The water you drink every day has made quite a journey to arrive at your tap.

From its origins in a raincloud, every drop has made its way through the vast stores of water, above and below ground, from which we supply more than one million households every day.

The water is then treated until its quality is among the highest in Europe before it makes its way to your tap along some of our 13,700 kilometres of water mains. A comprehensive testing and monitoring programme is in place throughout the treatment and supply process to make sure your water is always safe to drink. 

In 2010, our scientists tested for more than 100 substances in samples taken from household taps, 87 water treatment works and 205 service reservoirs.

Water quality met the strict standards enforced by the Drinking Water Inspectorate in 99.9 per cent of cases. A summary of compliance with the current water quality standards is given in the annual Chief Inspector's report.

Click on the links on the left to read more about the different stages of the drinking water journey or click here to read more about looking after water in your home.