BACK in November 1998, the European Commission issued a directive on the
quality of drinking water. Member states have to incorporate this into their
legislation by 25 December this year. A consultation period for the regulations
that the government proposes for Britain closed at the end of June.
The environment minister Michael Meacher told MPs recently that the
consultation elicited 350 responses. He went on to say that the Commission’s
directive includes an option to relax controls on sodium or artificially
softened water. However, he said he has decided not to do this because high
sodium levels can damage a…
