Independent Monitoring of Radioactivity in the Environment and Drinking Water

The Environment Agency is looking to issue a tender for a contract to cover two of its independent radiological monitoring programmes:

• Independent monitoring of radioactivity in the environment
• Chemical and radiochemical analysis of sources of drinking water

These programmes are being integrated to allow for more sustainable and efficient sample collection.

The programme of independent monitoring of radioactivity in the environment, looks at where radioactivity could lead to exposure to the public from non-food pathways such as the occupation of beaches, river banks or other areas. The programme mainly consists of sampling, dose rates measurements and laboratory analysis of radionuclide concentrations on samples taken from specified locations near nuclear sites in England and Wales.

The programme for chemical and radiochemical analysis of sources of drinking water provides an understanding of background radioactivity levels and enables the Environment Agency to provide information to Water Companies on the activity concentrations of radionuclides in raw water sources and provides supplementary data to the Environment Agency on the exposure of the public to radiation. The programme mainly consists of the contractor taking raw water samples from Water Company premises/assets (in England and Wales), thus requires liaison with Water Companies, and undertaking laboratory based chemical and radiochemical analyses of the water samples.