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UtILItY WeeK | 5th - 11th December 2014 | 9 Interview B ack before privatisation, when ladies' toilets were almost unheard of in utilities workplaces, a cer- tain microbiologist, disillusioned with the ethics of the pharmaceuticals industry, took her first strides in the water sector. She found it "eternally fascinating" and today that microbiologist is the cheerfully uncompromis- ing chief inspector of the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI). A few brief words sum up the career philosophy that has led Jeni Colbourne to one of the most indispensable roles in the water sector. "When I've been presented with an opportunity, I've always said yes to it," she says, simply. And when faced with "stony moments", including deflating the plans of chief executives and senior politicians, she relies on "remembering what you are there to do and showing no fear or favour in doing it". The DWI was established in 1990 to "speak for safety and quality" in the newly privatised UK water sector. Remembering that formative period, Colbourne opines: "That run-up to privatisation is probably the only time that scientists in the industry ever had an influen- tial voice." They were called upon by government to induce public confidence in the new water companies' ability to maintain safe water supplies by advising on the establishment of a robust regulatory framework – some- thing of a tall order at the time. "What's not understood about privatisation by many observers is that it was a mechanism for bringing in, for the first time, legislation that defined water quality and allocated duties to do something about it," says Col- bourne. Before that time, water for human consumption had to meet an unsubstantiated criteria of being "whole- some", reporting on water quality was "entirely within the gi of companies" to deliver and "there was no inde- pendent scrutiny". DWI has changed all that, and water quality in the UK has undoubtedly benefited – although don't be tricked into thinking that a 99.97 per cent score in Eng- land and Wales for compliance with the EU Drinking Water Directive this summer is proof of this. Colbourne is dismissive of the achievement. "Responsibility for compliance with the directive lies with the government," she states. "It's not an appropri- ate performance measure for companies." Instead, Colbourne attributes the UK's improving performance on water safety to a self-service, risk assess- ment-based regulatory system with powers for criminal prosecution. "The regime is the jewel in our crown," she sums up.