Private Water Supplies
A private water supply is one that is not provided by a water company (such as Severn Trent or Yorkshire Water) and may come from a spring, well, bore-hole or stream.
Every home should have a supply of good clean water to be fit for people to live in. We carry out risk assessments and sampling of private water supplies across the district to make sure that the water is safe and fit to drink.
Risk Assessment
We take into account the source of the water, how it reaches the consumer and the number of people using it. We also take into account whether the water is for domestic or commercial use and, in particular, food preparation. This is know as the 'risk assessment' and helps us decide how, and how often to monitor the supply.
Testing
Water is tested on a regular basis for a range of chemicals and micro-organisms that might cause an unpleasant taste or smell or could affect the health of the person drinking it. We also test for some substances which may not be harmful themselves but may indicate that a more serious problem exists.
We keep a register of all the private water supplies in the district along with their risk assessments, details of when they were monitored and the outcome of testing.
What happens if the supply does not come up to standard?
We will advise using bottled water until changes have been made to improve the water supply, such as:
- fencing off a spring chamber to stop animals entering and causing contamination
- creating an exclusion zone for the spreading of fertilizers around the spring or well
- improving drainage around the supply
- replacing pipework.
Sometimes it may be necessary to install filters to remove or lower the level of a particular substance, such as:
- Ultra-Violet filters to remove bacteria (E. Coli)
- Reverse Osmosis filters to remove aluminium or nitrate
- Iron and Manganese filters
- Cation Exchange filters to remove lead.
If a supply is heavily contaminated we may serve a notice prohibiting consumption of the water until work has been carried out and the quality has improved.
People in receipt of benefits may receive a grant to carry out any work required.
The Private Water Supplies Regulations 2009
These regulations apply to all private water supplies and ensure that the water they provide meets the same standards as mains water supplies.
All supplies that serve more than one households must undergo a risk assessment to decide a monitoring programme; supplies to single dwellings can be risk assessed and monitored on request. We make a charge for carrying out risk assessments and water quality sampling, contact us for more details.
Find out more on the Private Water Supplies website.
Contamination from flooding
If you rely on a private water supply and suffer flooding you should assume the supply has been contaminated and is not fit to use without boiling. Alternatively you could use a bottled water supply, but please refer to the advice of the Health Protection Agency before giving bottled water to babies.
Even if you have a treatment system, it may have been unable to cope with the contamination and it may not be visible, so still treat the water as if it is contaminated. If you are concerned about the quality of your supply, contact us to arrange for the safety of the water to be tested.
To Find Out More
Advice on the treatment and regulation of private water supplies can be found in the leaflet Keeping Your Private Water Supply Safe.
If your home or business is served by a private water supply, and you would like more information, or would like to arrange a test, or if you want to check whether you are already on our register, please contact us, our details are below.
| ||||||
Advertisements
Advertising Policy - The inclusion of an advertisement on this site does not imply a recommendation or endorsement by NEDDC.
