Southern Water Services Limited – Ground Water Treatment Works HazRev
Notice under regulation 28(4) of the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2016 (as amended)
Reference: SRN3926
Version Number: 6
Water undertaker as appointed under section 6 of the Water Industry Act 1991 (as amended): Southern Water Services Limited, with registered number 02366670 (hereinafter called ‘the Company’).
Assets Affected:
- All groundwater treatment works in the Southern Water supply area.
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 17 October 2019, which states that there is or has been a significant risk of supplying water from Ground Water 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 |
---|---|---|
Pathogenic bacteria ingress route and failure of treatment process | E. coli | For example: 43790 |
Pathogenic bacteria ingress route and failure of treatment process | Enterococci | For example: 43791 |
Pathogenic Protozoa breakthrough presenting risk to public health | For Example: Cryptosporidium | For example: 43786 |
Increasing nitrate in source waters | Nitrate | For example: 43811 |
Insufficient water supply to downstream consumers |
No Supply |
For example: 43845, 43846, 43847 |
Failure of treatment poses risk to wholesomeness | Lead | For example: 43822 |
Failure of treatment poses risk to wholesomeness | Hydrocarbons e.g. PAH | For example: 43839 |
Discolouration in downstream network | For example: Manganese, Iron | For example: 43829, 43828 |
Failure of treatment poses risk to wholesomeness | Other chemical public health | For example: 43844 |
Compromised disinfection process | Turbidity | For example: 70083 |
Treatment by-products | Tetrachloromethane | For example: 43832 |
Failure of treatment poses risk to wholesomeness | Pesticides (e.g. Aldrin) | For example: 43806 |
Failure of treatment poses risk to wholesomeness | Taste | For example: 43837 |
Failure of treatment poses risk to wholesomeness | Odour | For example: 43838 |
- 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:
- Ensure all water quality related, scheduled operational and maintenance tasks are carried out at the current prescribed schedule.
Date: Ongoing for the duration of this Notice - Ensure that any new risk identified is assessed in accordance with the drinking water safety plan methodology.
Date: Ongoing for the duration of this Notice - Ensure that treatment works start-up protocols are followed when restarting each site.
Date: Ongoing for the duration of this Notice - Ensure that the existing site specific disinfection policies are annually reviewed and kept up to date with existing alarm and shutdown levels.
Date: Ongoing for the duration of this Notice - Ensure the treatment works control and shutdown systems are operational and that all monitors are calibrated at the predefined frequencies.
Date: Ongoing for the duration of this Notice - Continue to track borehole headworks condition and risk via the borehole headworks database and drinking water safety plan.
Date: Ongoing for the duration of this Notice - Use site specific procedures where appropriate, including manual intervention or run to waste.
Date: Ongoing for the duration of this Notice - Issue advice to consumers, where required, of improperly disinfected water.
Date: Ongoing for the duration of this Notice - Provide bi-monthly updates at transformation meetings on progress of actions to include predicted float, actions completed to date and any major changes in delivery.
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:
- Carryout mitigation of regulatory risk statements as identified in Appendix A:
a) Completion of all Phase 1 actions as detailed in appendix A.
Date: Complete
b) Completion of all Phase 2 actions as detailed in appendix A.
Date: Complete
c) Commission all Phase 1 and Phase 2 as detailed in appendix A.
Date: Complete
d) Completion of all Phase 1A, 2A and 3 actions as detailed in appendix A.
Date: Complete
e) Commission all Phase 1A, 2A and 3 actions as detailed in appendix A.
Date: Complete
f) Completion of all Phase 2B, 3A and 4 actions as detailed in appendix A.
Date: 30 March 2024
g) Commission all Phase 2B, 3A and 4 actions as detailed in appendix A.
Date: 30 September 2024
h) Completion of all Phase 4A, 5 and 6 actions as detailed in appendix A.
Date: 31 March 2025
i) Commission all Phases 4A, 5 and 6 actions as detailed in appendix A.
Date: 30 September 2025 - Put in place interim mitigation for Lower risk severity regulatory risk statements as identified as Phase 6.
Date: Complete - Provide confirmation of dates for completion of solutions for Lower risk severity regulatory risk statements as identified as Phase 6.
Date: Complete
(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). To include confirmation of works completion at each Phase, an annual audit of operator and maintenance tasks completed at each works
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 Groundwater treatment works, 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 detailing interim mitigation in place for Lower risk severity regulatory risk statements (Phase 6) as specified in (b)2.
Date: Complete - Provide a report confirming the dates of completion for solutions for Lower risk severity regulatory risk statements (Phase 6) as specified in (b)3.
Date: Complete - Provide a report confirming completion of all Phase 1 and 2 actions.
Date: Complete - Provide a report confirming commissioning of all Phase 1 and 2 actions.
Date: Complete - Provide a report confirming completion of all Phase 1A, 2A and 3 actions.
Date: Complete - Provide a report confirming commissioning of all Phase 1A, 2A and 3 actions.
Date: Complete - Provide a report confirming completion of all Phase 2B, 3A and 4 actions.
Date: 31 April 2024 - Provide a report confirming commissioning of all Phase 2B, 3A and 4 actions.
Date: 31 October 2024 - Provide a report confirming completion of all Phase 4A, 5 and 6 actions.
Date: 30 April 2025 - Provide a report confirming commissioning of all Phase 4A, 5 and 6 actions.
Date: 31 October 2025 - 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: 31 October 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).
Signed
Nick Adjei
Deputy Chief Inspector, on behalf of the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
18 April 2024
Reference: SRN3926 v6