This table provides metadata for the actual indicator available from UK statistics closest to the corresponding global SDG indicator. Please note that even when the global SDG indicator is fully available from UK statistics, this table should be consulted for information on national methodology and other UK-specific metadata information.
| Indicator available |
Proportion of population using safely managed drinking water services |
|---|---|
| Indicator description |
Access to safe drinking water is essential for good health, welfare and productivity and is widely recognized as a human right. The proportion of the population using safely managed drinking water services is defined as the proportion of population using an improved drinking water source which is accessible on premises, available when needed and free from faecal and priority chemical contamination. |
| Geographical coverage |
United Kingdom |
| Unit of measurement |
Percentage (%) |
| Definitions |
WHO/UNICEF defines a safely managed drinking water as an improved water source that is accessible on premises, available when needed and free from faecal and priority chemical contamination. Improved water sources include - piped water, boreholes or tubewells, protected dug wells, protected springs, and packaged or delivered water. A water source is ‘accessible on premises’ if the point of collection is within the dwelling, compound, yard or plot, or water is delivered to the household. Drinking water is ‘available when needed’ if households report having ‘sufficient’ water, or water is available ‘most of the time’ (i.e. at least 12 hours per day or 4 days per week). ‘Free from faecal and priority chemical contamination’ requires that drinking water meets international standards for microbiological and chemical water quality specified in the WHO Guidelines for Drinking Water Quality. For the purposes of global monitoring the priority indicator of microbiological contamination is E. coli (or thermotolerant coliforms), and the priority chemical contaminants are arsenic and fluoride. |
| Available disaggregations |
|
| Calculations |
Data on drinking water, sanitation and hygiene are produced by the Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) of the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) based on administrative sources, national censuses and nationally representative household surveys. The JMP produces model estimates, calculating the proportion of population using improved water sources by fitting a linear regression line to all available data inputs within the reference period, starting from the year 2000. For more information see the indicator’s metadata in the Global metadata tab. |
| Other information |
In order to meet the criteria for a safely managed drinking water service, an improved water source should meet three criteria - it should be accessible on the premises (accessibility), water should be available when needed (availability), and the water supplied should be free from contamination (quality). Many countries lack data on one or more elements of safely managed drinking water. The WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (JMP) provide national estimates only when data are available on drinking water quality and at least one of the other criteria (accessibility and availability). Regional and income group estimates are made when data are available for at least 30 percent of the population. Data follows the UN specification for this indicator. This indicator has been identified in collaboration with topic experts. |
| Data last updated | 19 July 2023 |
| Metadata last updated | 19 July 2023 |