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Wessex Water Services Limited – AMP8 Sturminster Marshall / Shapwick works Nitrate

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

Reference: WSX-2023-00002

Version Number: 1

Water undertaker as appointed under section 6 of the Water Industry Act 1991 (as amended): Wessex Water Services Limited, with registered number 02366648 (hereinafter called ‘the Company’).

Assets Affected:

Asset Name

Reference

Sturminster Marshall/Shapwick Water Treatment Works

T33126200

Zone 92 Shapwick Supply System

Y44000092

Zone 95 Lytchett Matravers Supply System

Y44000095

Zone 98 Corfe Mullen Supply System

Y44000098

Zone 89 Black Lane Supply System

Y44000089

Table 1: List of assets affected and associated reference numbers

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 31 March 2023, which states that there is or has been a significant risk of supplying water from Sturminster Marshall / Shapwick 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

Contamination of raw water from farming processes.

Nitrate

RSKASMT-0000020543 A012 T33126200

Table 2: 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. Continuation of catchment management activities.
    Date: Ongoing for the duration of this Notice.
  2. Maintain site operating procedures and training documentation.
    Date: Ongoing for the duration of this Notice.
  3. Routine maintenance, including:
  • Raw and treated nitrate monitors verification at a minimum monthly frequency.
  • Monitors also verified following a water quality event and calibration if evidence of drift.
  • Raw and treated nitrate monitors serviced at a minimum annual frequency.

Date: Ongoing for the duration of this Notice.

  1. Water quality monitor data reviewed and appropriate process changes made where necessary.
    Date: Ongoing for the duration of this Notice.
  2. Maintain the automatic shutdown facility at Sturminster Marshall / Shapwick works, which shall include the following criteria:
  • Automatic shutdown on treated water nitrate levels falling outside expected level; and
  • Review and adjust automatic shutdown trigger level if appropriate.
    Date: Ongoing for the duration of this Notice.
  1. Ability to flush to waste following site shutdown, enabling unacceptable water to be disposed of.
    Date: Ongoing for the duration of this Notice.
  2. Routine operational and regulatory water quality sampling of the raw and treated water to validate that the site is operating according to procedures. Any result detected outside of acceptable limits shall be recorded and published on a daily exception report and investigated.
    Date: Ongoing for the duration of this Notice.
  3. Increase water quality sampling frequency in response to results detected outside of acceptable limits.
    Date: Ongoing for the duration of this Notice.
  4. Operational borehole selection to enable isolation of individual boreholes.
    Date: Ongoing for the duration of this Notice.
  5. Maintain a site-specific nitrate plan.
    Date: Ongoing for the duration of this Notice.
  6. Advise health authorities of any exceedances of the prescribed concentration value for nitrate in water supplied to consumers.
    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. Complete the planning, design and procurement for a nitrate treatment plant installation at Sturminster Marshall / Shapwick works.
    Date: 31 March 2027.
  2. Complete the construction, installation and commissioning of the solution developed in measure b(1), to ensure compliance with the nitrate standard.
    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 May 2024.
  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 Sturminster Marshall / Shapwick works and associated assets, 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. Provide a report to confirm the completion of the planning, design and procurement of a nitrate treatment solution at Sturminster Marshall / Shapwick works, as specified in measure b(1).
    Date: 30 April 2027.
  3. Provide a report to confirm the completion of the construction, installation and commissioning of a nitrate treatment solution at Sturminster Marshall / Shapwick works, as specified in measure b(2).
    Date: 30 April 2030.
  4. Submit the audit strategy for auditing the effectiveness of the measures, as specified in measure (c)1.
    Date: 30 June 2024.
  5. Submit any revisions of the audit strategy produced under measure (c)2.
    Date: Within 1 month of a revision
  6. 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
  7. Submit a satisfactory completion report accompanied by a revised regulation 28(1) report with Board level Director sign-off.
    Date: 31 May 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.
8 March 2024.
Reference: WSX-2023-00002.

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