Northumbrian Water Limited – Linford WTW (Accelerated Delivery)

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

Reference: NES-2023-00001

Version Number: 2

Water undertaker as appointed under section 6 of the Water Industry Act 1991 (as amended): Northumbrian Water Limited, with registered number 02366703 (hereinafter called ‘the company’).

Assets Affected:

1. Linford Water Treatment Works – T006
2. Herongate Potable Water System 10 – YESZ10

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 26 October 2022, which states that there is or has been a significant risk of supplying water from Linford 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
Elevated concentrations of manganese in the raw water	Manganese	ESK_TRE_T006_A023_CFH  ESK_ABS_A006A_A023_CFH
Risk of coliforms in the raw water	Total Coliforms	ESK_TRE_T006_C001_CFH  ESK_ABS_A006A_C001_CFH
Risk of E. coli in the raw water	E. coli	ESK_TRE_T006_C002_CFH  ESK_ABS_A006A_C002_CFH

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.

3. 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:

To maintain the following measures for the period specified in each case:

1. Ensure Audit Strategy outlined in (c)1 is reviewed and updated during the progression of the notice as new sources and treatment process are installed.
   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 land lease agreements and the drilling and testing of a pilot borehole with groundwater investigations.
   Date: 31 August 2026
2. Complete a regulation 15(1)(a) new source risk assessment for the new production borehole at Linford WTW. Date: 30 June 2027
3. Complete the construction, installation and commissioning of the new production borehole and water treatment works at Linford WTW. Date: 30 November 2029
4. Complete the inspection, testing, regulation 15(1)(b) return to service risk assessment and recommissioning of existing well at Linford WTW. Date: 31 March 2033
5. Complete the detailed design of the production boreholes. Date: 30 September 2026
6. Complete the installation and testing of the new production boreholes. Date: 31 March 2027
7. Complete the site selection, surveys, land agreements and planning permission for new treatment works site. Date: 31 January 2028
8. Complete the detailed process and systems design of the new treatment works. Date: 31 July 2027

(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: Complete
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 Linford Water Treatment Works, or not to so supply unless the specified conditions below are satisfied:

1. Existing Linford WTW and existing boreholes to remain out of supply until satisfactory completion of requirement (b)4 and the associated reporting measure (e)5.
   Date: Until satisfactory completion of requirement (b)4.

(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. Submit a report confirming the completion of the land lease agreements and the drilling and testing of a pilot borehole with groundwater investigation, as specified in measure (b)1.
   Date: 30 September 2026
3. Submit a report confirming the completion of a regulation 15(1)(a) new source risk assessment for the new production borehole at Linford WTW, as specified in measure (b)2.
   Date: 31 July 2027
4. Submit a report confirming the completion of the construction, installation and commissioning of the new production borehole and water treatment works at Linford WTW, as specified in measure (b)3.
   Date: 31 December 2029
5. Submit a report confirming the completion of the inspection, testing, regulation 15(1)(b) return to service risk assessment and recommissioning of existing well at Linford WTW, as specified in measure (b)4.
   Date: 30 April 2033
6. Submit the audit strategy for auditing the effectiveness of the measures, as specified in measure (c)1.
   Date: Complete
7. Submit any revisions of the audit strategy produced under measure (c)2.
   Date: Within 1 month of a revision
8. 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
9. Submit a report confirming the completion of the detailed design of the production boreholes, as specified in measure (b)5. Date: 31 October 2026
10. Submit a report confirming the completion of the installation and testing of the new production boreholes, as specified in measure (b)6. Date: 30 April 2027
11. Submit a report confirming the completion of the site selection, surveys, land agreements and planning permission for new treatment works site, as specified in measure (b)7. Date: 29 February 2028
12. Submit a report confirming the completion of the detailed process and systems design of new treatment works, as specified in measure (b)8. Date: 31 August 2027
13. Submit a satisfactory completion report accompanied by a revised regulation 28(1) report with Board level Director sign-off.
    Date: 30 April 2034

Further Details of this Notice:

4. Any product or substance used as a result of the requirements in this Notice must comply with regulation 31.
5. 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.
6. 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).
7. 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.

Signed

 

Nicholas Adjei
Deputy Chief Inspector, on behalf of the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

10 April 2025

Reference: NES-2023-00001