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South West Water Limited – Tresco Water Quality Improvements

Notice under regulation 28(4) of the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2016 (as amended)

Reference: ISC-2021-00009

Version Number: 7

Water undertaker as appointed under section 6 of the Water Industry Act 1991 (as amended): South West Water Limited, with registered number 02366665 (hereinafter called ‘the Company’).

Assets Affected:

  • Tresco Supply System (YIOS2)
  • Vane Hill WTW North (T0030F1)
  • Vane Hill WTW South (T0030F2)

Details of this Notice:

  1. The Drinking Water Inspectorate (‘the Inspectorate’) has received a regulation 28(1) report of the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2016 (as amended) (‘the Regulations’) from the Company dated 11 August and 31 August 2021, which states that there is or has been a significant risk of supplying water from water treatment works (and associated assets as applicable) on Tresco Island that could constitute a potential danger to human health or could be unwholesome.
  2. Consequently, this Notice is served on the Company by the Inspectorate on behalf of the Secretary of State, under regulation 28(4) for the assets listed above, for risks associated with:

Description of Risk

Hazard/ Hazardous Event/ Parameter

Potential risks to drinking water quality and non-compliance with the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations.

Radon

 

Trihalomethanes

 

Gross alpha

 

Total coliforms

 

E. coli

 

Enterococci

 

C. perfringens

 

Chlorate

 

Cryptosporidium

 

Chloride

 

Gross beta

 

Aluminium

 

Colour

 

TOC

 

DOC

 

Arsenic

 

Bromide

 

Manganese

 

Indicative dose

 

Taste

 

Odour

 

pH

 

PFAS

Turbidity

Table 1: Table of the hazards, hazardous events, and/or parameters covered by this Notice, including the Hazard I D numbers and the description of risks.
  1. The Company are required to satisfy the following requirements.

The date given is that until or by which the requirements must be maintained or satisfied, as appropriate.

Requirements:

(a) To maintain the following measures for the period specified in each case:

  1. Continue the current investigational water quality monitoring programme to support Regulation 27 risk assessment and verify the current operational practice and performance.
    Date: Ongoing for the duration of this Notice
  2. Continue to operate the existing assets and supply systems in accordance with operating procedures.
    Date: Ongoing for the duration of this Notice
  3. Maintain current advice to consumers that water supplied to this supply zone should not be used in infant feed and formulas, until such time that the treatment process is capable of reducing the concentration of chloride to below that of the prescribed concentration set out in the Regulations.
    Date: Ongoing for the duration of this Notice
  4. Maintain contingency plans to protect human health in the event of a risk associated with drinking water quality.
    Date: Ongoing for the duration of this Notice

(b) To review, revise or make operational the following measures, by the dates specified in each case:

  1. Investigate the raw water quality and existing treatment processes at all water treatment works on Tresco Island to confirm the risks and parameters to be included in this Notice.
    Date: Complete
  2. Identify and implement short term mitigation(s) as soon as reasonably practicable, based on suitable risk assessment where any hazards that have the potential to contribute to regulation 4 breaches are identified through the completion of measure (b)1.
    Date: 30 September 2023
  3. Following the completion of step (b)1., review the existing treatment processes and control measures on Tresco Island to ascertain if current treatment is capable of the removal of the parameters listed in Section 2 of this Notice.
    Date: 30 September 2023
  4. Following the review in step (b)3., if the existing treatment and control measures are not capable of the mitigating the risks associated with the hazards listed in section 2 of this notice, design additional treatment stages and control measures required for effective mitigation of the risks associated with these listed hazards.
    Date: 31 March 2024
  5. Review and update the regulatory sampling facilities at the treatment works and storage reservoirs on the island to be in line with the company standard.
    Date: 31 May 2024
  6. Complete the installation and commissioning of the required treatment stages and control measures, designed in (b)4. above, to enable full operational use of the treatment works.
    Date: 30 September 2024
  7. Update the site policies and procedures to reflect the changes made to the treatment works, including providing any relevant additional training to staff, based on the changes made.
    Date: 30 September 2024

(c) To audit whether the measures have been effective by the following means:

  1. Define an audit strategy to monitor the effectiveness of the measures specified in sections (a) and (b).
    Date: Complete
  2. Implement, and keep under continuous review, the audit strategy defined in measure (c)1.
    Date: Following completion of measure (c)1. onwards.

(d) Not to supply water for regulation 4(1) purposes from treatment works and associated assets on Tresco Island, or not to so supply unless the specified conditions below are satisfied:

  1. Not Applicable

(e) To provide the following information in the time and manner specified below to enable monitoring of progress towards the mitigation of the risks:

  1. Provide a progress report annually.
    Date: by 31 January each year.
  2. Confirm completion of the investigation in measure (b)1. and any further parameters to be added to Section 2 of this Notice.
    Date: Complete
  3. Confirm the implementation of any short-term mitigation(s) required as specified in measure (b)2.
    Date: 31 October 2023
  4. Provide a report on the chosen design of treatment process and any additional control measures required, as specified in measure (b)4.
    Date: 30 April 2024
  5. Confirm the upgrade of all regulatory sampling facilities on the island to be in line with the company standard, as specified in measure (b)5.
    Date: 30 June 2024
  6. Confirm completion of the installation and commissioning of the required treatment stages and control measures, as described in measures (b)6. Provide evidence of the updated site policies and procedures and any relevant additional training delivered to staff, as specified in measure (b)7.
    Date: 31 October 2024
  7. Submit the audit strategy for auditing the effectiveness of the measures, as specified in measure (c)1.
    Date: Complete
  8. Submit any revisions of the audit strategy produced under measure (c)2.
    Date: Within 1 month of a revision
  9. Submit a report in the event that any completed measures of this Notice need to be altered in any way, for any reason.
    Date: Ongoing for the duration of this Notice
  10. Submit a satisfactory completion report accompanied by a revised regulation 28(1) report with Board level Director sign-off.
    Date: 31 October 2025

Further Details of this Notice:

  1. Any product or substance used as a result of the requirements in this Notice must comply with regulation 31.
  2. Under regulation 28(6) the Inspectorate, on behalf of the Secretary of State, may by notice served on the Company, revoke or vary this Notice.
  3. Failure by the Company to comply with this Notice may result in enforcement proceedings under section 18 of the Water Industry Act 1991 (as amended).

Signed

Nicholas Adjei
Deputy Chief Inspector, on behalf of the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
23 January 2023
Reference: ISC-2021-00009 (V7)

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