South Staffordshire Water Plc – AMP7 Hampton Loade WTW Ceramic GER
Notice under regulation 28(4) of the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2016 (as amended)
Reference: SST-2021-00001
Version Number: 2
Water undertaker as appointed under section 6 of the Water Industry Act 1991 (as amended): South Staffordshire Water Plc, with registered number 02662742 (hereinafter called ‘the Company’).
Assets Affected:
Asset Name | Reference |
|---|---|
Hampton Loade WTW Main E | THLPWE |
Hampton Loade WTW Main F | THLPWF |
Details of this Notice:
- 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 May 2017, which states that there is or has been a significant risk of supplying water from Hampton Loade treatment works (and associated assets as applicable) 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 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 |
|---|---|---|
Failure of current treatment process to adequately treat the water. | THLPWF069 THLPWE069 | |
Failure of current treatment process to adequately treat the water. | Disinfection by-products | THLPWF128 THLPWE128 |
Failure of current treatment process to adequately treat the water. | Taste | THLPWF193 THLPWE193 |
Failure of current treatment process to adequately treat the water. | Odour | THLPWF192 THLPWE192 |
- 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:
- Operation of Hampton Loade WTW in accordance with Company policy, procedures and to internally agreed process parameters.
Date: Ongoing for the duration of this Notice - Proactive management of Hampton Loade WTW and network to minimise disinfection by-product formation.
Date: Ongoing for the duration of this Notice - Ongoing monitoring of regulatory and operational sample results and online data, including disinfectant levels and reported customer contacts
Date: Ongoing for the duration of this Notice - Enhanced monitoring for disinfection by-product parameters at the source and in the network.
Date: Ongoing for the duration of this Notice - Monitor and track trends for customer acceptability contacts.
Date: Ongoing for the duration of this Notice - Optimise the treatment processes to minimise concentrations of manganese, iron and aluminium entering the supply network.
Date: Ongoing for the duration of this Notice - Comply with filter monitoring and maintenance strategy, including prioritised GAC filter media replacement programme in accordance with risk modelling framework.
Date: Ongoing for the duration of this Notice - Continue pilot trial during the commissioning of the CeraMac membrane to increase water quality data to optimise performance of the full system.
Date: Ongoing for the duration of this Notice - Continue communication and engagement for the management and communication of water quality issues and the communication of the completion of the measures in this notice with Severn Trent Water to whom they provide a bulk supply from Hampton Loade works.
Date: Ongoing for the duration of this Notice - Where turnaround times for geosmin analysis is greater than 5 days, ensure that the PAC dosing is on and temporarily increased until results are available.
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:
- Complete the planning design and procurement for the ceramic membrane filtration stage.
Date: Complete - Complete the construction, installation, and commissioning of a ceramic filtration stage.
Date: 31 March 2025 - Work with analytical contractor to secure turnaround times for geosmin of 5 days or less.
Date: Complete - Confirm need and if appropriate the arrangements for refurbishment of the existing clarification, filtration stages and UV disinfection at Hampton Loade WTW.
Date: 31 March 2025
(c) To audit whether the measures have been effective by the following means:
- Review audit strategy from previous legal instruments (SST_2018_00002 and SST_2020_00005) to ensure they remain suitable to monitor the effectiveness of the measures specified in section (a) and (b). Confirm if still suitable or resubmit an updated strategy.
Date: Complete - 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 Hampton Loade WTW, or not to so supply unless the specified conditions below are satisfied:
- Where PAC dosing is required to mitigate the taste and odour risk treatment processes in place are capable of treating the full deployable output of the works and must not cease when concentrations of geosmin are above the specified trigger level of 4ng/l in the final water without notifying the Drinking Water Inspectorate.
Date: Ongoing for the duration of this Notice
(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. - Submit a report to evidence the completion of planning design and procurement for the ceramic membrane filtration stage.
Date: Complete - Submit a report to evidence the completion of construction, installation and commissioning of a ceramic filtration stage.
Date: 30 April 2025 - Submit a report to evidence work with analytical contractor to secure turnaround times for geosmin of 5 days or less
Date: Complete - Submit a report to confirm need and if appropriate the arrangements for refurbishment of the existing clarification, filtration stages and UV disinfection at Hampton Loade WTW.
Date: 30 April 2025 - Provide evidence of communications with Severn Trent Water.
Date: Within 28 days of meeting - Submit the audit strategy for auditing the effectiveness of the measures, as specified in measure (c)1.
Date: Complete - 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: 30 April 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 Secretary of State, 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).
- Contravention of a regulation 28(4)(d) requirement is an offence under regulation 33(1). If guilty of such an offence, the Company is liable on summary conviction, or on conviction on indictment, to a fine. Under regulation 33(2) it is a defence for the Company to show that it took all reasonable steps and exercised all due diligence to avoid the commission of the offence.
Nicholas Adjei
Deputy Chief Inspector, on behalf of the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
18 February 2025
Reference: SST-2021-00001 v2