Drinking water in the eastern region was generally of high quality last year, according to a new report.

Drinking water in the eastern region was generally of high quality last year, according to a new report.

The chief inspector of drinking water, Jeni Colbourne, says that people do not need to fear that water has made them ill.

The Drinking Water 2005 report says there were 11,000 complaints or requests for information by Anglian Water customers last year. The majority were complaints about the appearance of water, while 3pc said the water had made them ill.

Prof Colbourne said: "These figures on illness prove to me that it is so important that we have better information out there. We need to get people to understand at local level that tap water is alright."

Lead was found in drinking water at higher levels than the current standard in three places - Norwich, Beccles, and Grimston, although this may be due to pipes in individual homes. The report says "there may be an issue in parts of Norwich," and that extra measures may be needed to reduce lead exposure. Lead can build up in the body and cause neurological problems in young children.

All the water supplied by Anglian Water was free from the E Coli bacteria, which causes sickness. A handful of more than 40,000 samples leaving reservoirs and water treatment works tested positive for coliform bacteria, but were still within the national standard.

Anglian Water spokesman Dan Baker said: "We are delighted with these results, which are a clear indication of our ongoing investment and commitment to providing

an excellent service to customers.

"It's easy to take tap water for granted but customers can rest assured that not only is Anglian Water doing its very best to keep the water flowing during the current drought conditions, but that quality is a top priority too."

The report also notes that some parts of the region have no public water supply, with more than 650 private suppliers in each of the Breckland and Broadland council areas.

Full details of the report are available from libraries or www.dwi.gov.uk.