Water pioneers recognised in the King’s Honours

(by Karma Loveday)

Marcus Rink, chief inspector for drinking water, received an OBE in the King’s Honours for services to water quality.

Commenting, Rink said: “I am deeply honoured to receive this recognition, and I accept it with great humility and a deep sense of pride. The Drinking Water Inspectorate exists to protect public health and maintain the robust regulatory framework that underpins public trust in drinking water, and it is a privilege to lead that work.”

He emphasised: “Any recognition of this kind belongs first and foremost to the outstanding team at the DWI, whose dedication has driven real progress – from expert investigations [including recently into the South East Water Pembury failure and cryptosporidium in Brixham], proactive strategies to tackle PFAS, and pioneering performance metrics that, for the first time, gave regulators a tangible way to quantify risk, track company trends and make meaningful comparisons across the industry.”

Rink concluded: “England and Wales have some of the safest drinking water in the world, and I remain fully committed to ensuring that standard is not only maintained but built upon.”

Meanwhile, Sir Jon Cunliffe was awarded the high honour of a Knight Grand Cross for public service in chairing the Independent Water Commission, and Andy Mitchell, former chief executive of Tideway, was knighted for services to the construction industry. Sir Andy led the Tideway project from its inception in 2014 through construction and into successful operation.