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Affinity Water Limited – Bowring WTW PFOS

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

Reference: AFW-2023-00008

Version Number: 1

Water undertaker as appointed under section 6 of the Water Industry Act 1991 (as amended): Affinity Water Limited, with registered number 02546950 (hereinafter called ‘the Company’).

Assets Affected:

  • Bowring Water Treatment Works – TL360
  • Bowring Supply System – Y117

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 24 August 2023 which states that there is or has been a significant risk of supplying water from Bowring Water Treatment Works (and associated assets as applicable) 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

Hazard I D

Prescence of per- and poly fluoroalkyl (PFAS) substances in the source water

Perfluorooctane Sulphonate 

AFW-TL360-PCV-F033A-PFOS 

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. Blending of the raw and treated waters to ensure PFOS concentrations in the water leaving Weston Hills Service Reservoir remain below 0.1 ug/l.  
    Date: Ongoing for the duration of this Notice
  2. Weekly sampling of the raw water from the Baldock Road source for PFOS with appropriate escalation and investigation of any deviation from expected results.
    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. Enhance the blending control between Baldock Road raw water, Bowring raw water and Fuller WTW treated water.
    Date: 31 March 2026
  2. Install granular activated carbon (GAC) contactors at Bowring WTW.
    Date: 31 March 2030
  3. Initiate sampling programme for the new GAC as it comes online to establish removal effectiveness and lifespan.
    Date: 31 March 2030

(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: 31 December 2023
  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 Bowring Treatment Works, 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. Complete enhancement of the blending control between Baldock Road raw water, Bowring raw water and Fuller WTW treated water.   
    Date: 30 April 2026
  3. Complete installation of GAC contactors at Bowring WTW.   
    Date: 31 March 2030
  4. Initiate sampling programme for the new GAC as it comes online to establish removal effectiveness and lifespan. 
    Date: 31 March 2030
  5. Submit the audit strategy for auditing the effectiveness of the measures, as specified in measure (c)1.
    Date: 31 January 2024
  6. Submit any revisions of the audit strategy produced under measure (c)2.   
    Date: 30 April 2030
  7. Submit a report in the event that any completed measures of this Notice need to be altered in any way, for any reason.  
    Date: 30 April 2030
  8. Submit a satisfactory completion report accompanied by a revised regulation 28(1) report with Board level Director sign-off. 
    Date: 30 April 2031

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
25 October 2023
Reference: AFW-2023-00008

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