The consequences of a nuclear event on water resources - the UK and other European countries

Water suppliers in Europe did not give high priority to radioactivity in drinking water preparation prior to the Chernobyl accident. This incident demonstrated shortcomings in the contingency plans and a lack of expertise in the water industry in this area. The major factors involved have now received attention and there is greater awareness of the importance of information exchange, scale of incident, nature of nuclides released and vulnerability of different sources. Although it is unlikely that such a major accident will occur in the future steps are being taken to cope with the consequences. Public assurance on the safety of drinking water is a major objective of the water industry. (author)