Environment secretary Elizabeth Truss, and the Welsh Government’s minister for natural resources, Carl Sargeant, confirmed his appointment this week.
Rink, who has been deputy chief inspector since 2008, will take up the post on 1 August. He replaces Jeni Colbourne, who has been in the position since 2003.
With nearly 30 years of experience working in health, environment and the water industry, Rink has been with the DWI since 2002.
From 2008, he has been responsible for the operational regulation in England and Wales as deputy chief inspector. He is also the UK member of the European Microbiology Expert Group and chair of the Strategic Board of the Standing Committee of Analysts.
The DWI released its last annual report under the leadership of Colbourne last week. It revealed that public water supplies in England and Wales remain amongst the highest quality in the world, with only 0.04 per cent of the DWI’s tests on public supplies in England, and 0.02 per cent of its tests in Wales, showing water that failed to meet legislative standards in 2014.
This article first appeared on WWTonline.