Dwr Cymru Cyfyngedig – Alternative Water Supplies
Notice under regulation 28(4) of the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2018
Reference: DWR-2024-00003
Version Number: 1
Water undertaker as appointed under section 6 of The Water Industry Act 1991 (as amended): Dwr Cymru Cyfyngedig, with registered number 02366777 (hereinafter called ‘the company’).
Assets Affected:
- All company assets that use an alternative water supply.
Details of this notice:
- The Drinking Water Inspectorate (‘the Inspectorate’) has received a set of regulation 28(1) reports of the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2018 (‘the Regulations’) from the company dated 13 October 2023, that state that there is or has been a significant risk of supplying water from multiple systems that could constitute a potential danger to human health or could be unwholesome.
- Consequently, this notice is served on the company by the Inspectorate on behalf of the Welsh Ministers, under regulation 28(4) for the assets listed above, for risks associated with:
|
Hazard/ Hazardous Event/ Parameter |
Hazard I D | |
|---|---|---|
|
Alternative supply during loss of supply events |
Loss of supply |
Multiple, e.g. D100604 |
- The company is 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:
- Follow current procedures relating to the management of alternative supplies.
Date: Ongoing for the duration of this notice - Continue routine sampling programme for alternative supply vessels used for reaction and planned operations.
Date: Ongoing for the duration of this notice - Risk assessment of all planned and reactive maintenance operations and work, which are recorded and reviewed on a regular basis.
Date: Ongoing for the duration of this notice - Maintain contingency plans to ensure drinking water quality and sufficiency of supply can be maintained during water quality events.
Date: Ongoing for the duration of this notice - Ensure all tankers to be sampled at the point of discharge on commencement of distribution from the tanker and every 48 hours thereafter until distribution is discontinued in accordance with regulation 6 (4) of the regulations.
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:
- Devise an approach to verify that a tanker will not pose a risk to water quality, to be used when sampling of a tanker in accordance with regulation 6 is not possible while other measures in part (b) of this notice are being delivered. Ensure a record is kept of each instance this approach is used in place of statutory tanker sampling.
Date: 31 December 2024 - Review of pilot in West Wales to develop an action plan with defined timescales for the remaining regions / areas
Date: 31 March 2025 - Implement improvements to ensure all tankers to be sampled at the point of discharge on commencement of distribution from the tanker and every 48 hours thereafter until distribution is discontinued in accordance with regulation 6 (4) of the regulations.
Date: 31 December 2025 - Review and update procedures to ensure compliance with regulation 6 (4) and information letter 01/2022 during tankering operations, including use of third-party tankers. To include;
- Hygienic practice for use and storage of hoses for tankering activities.
- Review sampling requirements during infusion/tankering activities at fill point, in supply, and local area following infusion.
- Tanker/bowser sample failure response.
Date: 31 March 2025
- Review and update procedures for tank/bowser cleaning and disinfection,
- Review of tanker chlorination certificate documentation.
- Review of record keeping and accessibility of those records if a sample failure were to occur.
Date: 31 December 2024
- Review company asset standards for any gaps or deficiencies related to tankering and sampling. Ensure the current arrangement for tankering and sampling is compliant with company asset standards, including suitability of sampling taps on tanker and at fill points and WQ on site checks during filling of tankers.
Date: 31 December 2024 - Complete remedial works as identified in the review in measure (b)6.
Date: 31 December 2025 - Review procedures to ensure compliance with regulation 4 and 18 in terms of planned and reactive alternative supply WQ risk assessment impact on distribution.
Date: 31 December 2024
(c) To audit whether the measures have been effective by the following means:
- Define an audit strategy to monitor the effectiveness of the measures specified in sections (a) and (b).
Date: 31 December 2024 - 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 alternative water supplies, or not to so supply unless the specified conditions below are satisfied:
- 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:
- Provide a progress report annually.
Date: by 31 January each year. - Provide a report on measure (b)1, including an example of the records to be kept.
Date: 31 January 2025 - Provide a report on the review and provide the action plan as specified in measure (b)2.
Date: 30 April 2025 - Provide a report on completion of improvements as required by measure (b)3
Date: 31 January 2026 - Provide a report on the procedure updates as required by measure (b)4.
Date: 30 April 2025 - Provide a report on the procedure updates as required by measure (b)5.
Date: 31 January 2025 - Provide a report on the asset standards review and confirm action plan as required by measure (b)6.
Date: 31 January 2025 - Provide a report on the completion of remedial works as identified in (b)6, as required by measure (b)7.
Date: 31 January 2026 - Provide a report following procedure review, and provide updated procedures as required by measure (b)8.
Date: 31 January 2025 - Submit the audit strategy for auditing the effectiveness of the measures, as specified in measure (c)1.
Date: 31 January 2025 - Submit any revisions of the audit strategy produced under measure (c)2.
Date: Within 1 month of a revision - 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 - Submit a satisfactory completion report accompanied by a revised regulation 28(1) report with Board level Director sign-off.
Date: 31 December 2026
Further Details of this notice:
- Any product or substance used as a result of the requirements in this notice must comply with regulation 31.
- Under regulation 28(6) the Inspectorate, on behalf of the Welsh Ministers, may by notice served on the company, revoke or vary this notice.
- 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).
Nicholas Adjei
Deputy Chief Inspector, on behalf of the Welsh Ministers
15 October 2024
Reference: DWR-2024-00003