• Long standing discoloured water problems at Trecwn village – Pembrokeshire

  Intractable water quality issues The private water supply main from its source to Trecwn village and the connections from it, were transferred on sale to those that bought the properties as set out in their title deeds. This meant that householders were liable for any improvement to the private water supply infrastructure. The private supply is […]
• Deficiencies in water supplies on new housing developments

  Introduction In April 2023 the Inspectorate was made aware of an MP’s letter regarding an ongoing water supply problem at a new housing estate in her constituency. The residents had been without a reliable supply of safe drinking water for the past ten months causing distress to those affected. The supply of water to the […]
• A complaint about a local authority not discharging its duty under the regulations

  Introduction In September 2023 the Inspectorate was contacted by a private water supply consumer in England, who wished to complain that his local authority had not tested his supply in fourteen years and had never risk assessed it. The consumer was in the process of selling his house and anxious that the sale might fall […]
• Difficulties in securing funding for the remediation of a long standing failing supply

  Introduction This case study concerns a private water supply in North Yorkshire which serves a row of nine cottages, collectively called “Aysdalegate.” The supply presents a potential danger to human health as it is of risk of ingress from microbial pathogens by virtue of E. coli detections in samples collected from the supplied houses. The […]
• A supply provided at a public waterspout – case study update

  Introduction  The ambiguity around ownership, regulation and who is responsible for water available to the public sometimes is more complex than might be expected.  One such case concerned a waterspout fed from a spring located at a roadside within central England. Being available to the public, protection of public health is central to assuring the […]
• Investigation following a breach of the lead standard on a regulation 9 private water supply

  Introduction  The detection of lead at any concentration from a private water supply used for human consumption is a cause for concern. Any lead concentrations found above the regulatory standard of 10 µg/L must be regarded as a potential danger to human health. The local authority must investigate and serve a notice in accordance with […]
• The Inspectorate’s powers and remit with regard private water supplies

  In November 2022 the Chief Inspector of Drinking Water received an email from an individual wishing to report the poor quality and insufficiency of the private water serving his family in a single property. The matter initially arose in February 2022 as a result of insufficiency following storm Eunice whereupon it was discovered that the […]
• Prosecution of a supply owner for not complying with a regulation 18 notice

  In 2020 the Inspectorate published a case study in its annual report entitled “An established private water supply that was discovered during CoViD-19 pandemic lockdown restrictions”. This supply was found to be periodically insufficient, unwholesome and a danger to human health. The following case study relates to the prosecution of the owner/controller of this supply […]
• Case studies: a private supply used as part of a public activity

  Introduction Specific and often unique circumstances can sometimes make it difficult to determine whether a supply of water, other than a public supply, falls within scope of the Private Water Supplies (England) Regulations 2016 (as amended) and The Private Water Supplies (Wales) Regulations 2017 (the Regulations) or not. This situation often arises where supply arrangements […]
• A private water supply with restriction of use advice in place for three years

  Introduction This case study concerns a private water supply that serves eight dwellings. The source of the supply is a spring that serves these properties via gravity-fed storage tanks. The supply is not treated as a whole, although some of the properties are fitted with UV disinfection units. The supply is maintained by a professional […]
• Identification of a Regulation 8 supply and successful joint working

  When drinking water is discoloured, consumers will almost always contact their water company as clearly such water is not suitable for consumption. Whilst it is part of normal business for a company to respond by investigating the cause, less frequent, but by no means unusual, is that such investigations discover the supply is not the […]

  • Ref: 2019/01
• Lack of risk assessment on an historic regulation 9 supply

  Introduction This case study concerns a private water supply which serves a community in Devon. The water is derived from a spring source in a rural catchment, predominantly used for farming. It provides a supply of water for domestic purposes, mainly to private residents, although some properties are rented by their owners for short term […]