Notice of Regulation: College Water Treatment Works – Treatment Upgrade

NOTICE UNDER REGULATION 28(4) OF THE WATER SUPPLY (WATER QUALITY) REGULATIONS 2016 (AS AMENDED)

South West Water Limited: College Water Treatment Works, Treatment Upgrade

Reference: SWB-2020-00004 (replaces SWT-2019-00001)

Water undertaker as appointed under the section 6 of the Water Industry Act 1991 (as amended): South West Water Limited, with registered number 02366665 (hereinafter called ‘the Company’).

Assets affected:
College WTW (T0809F)
College Supply System (Y0809)

  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 16 May 2013, which states that there is or has been a significant risk of supplying water from College Water Treatment Works (and associated assets as applicable) that could constitute a potential danger to human health and 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:

For risks associated with:

  • Trihalomethanes (THMs);
  • Pesticides, including metaldehyde;
  • Taste and odour;
  • Disinfection by-products – regulation 26(2)(a); and
  • Manganese.
  1. The Company are required to satisfy the following:

Requirements

(a) to maintain the following measures for the period specified:

  1. Undertake enhanced operational monitoring.
    Date: Ongoing for the duration of the Notice
  2. Complete intermittent PAC dosing as required.
    Date: Ongoing for the duration of the Notice
  3. Complete raw water risk assessment as part of DWSP’s
    Date: Ongoing for the duration of the Notice
  4. Use Argal Service Reservoir as the sole raw water abstraction source until the completion of measures (b)11 to (b)16. to install and commission the new (or modified) treatment processes required.
    Date: Until the completion of measures (b)11 to (b)16.
  5. Undertake catchment management initiatives as outlined in the National Environment Programme through the Upstream Thinking II initiative during AMP 6.
    Date: Ongoing for the duration of the Notice

(b) to review, revise or make operational the following measures, by the date specified:

  1. Finalise the Drinking Water Protected Area (DrWPA) Safeguard Zone (SGZ) Action Plan with the Environment Agency (EA)
    Date: Complete
  2. Liaise with Natural England, Catchment Sensitive Farming, National Farmers Union (NFU) and Campaign for the Farmed Environment officers to ensure additional support for catchment management initiatives.
    Date: Complete
  3. Inform all stakeholders in the relevant Catchment Based Approach Pilot catchment of South West Water’s water quality and catchment management schemes.
    Date: Complete
  4. Progress regular bulletins in the NFU ‘farmers fax’ service to publicise any positive results from South West Water’s routine pesticide monitoring programme.
    Date: Complete
  5. Share EA SGZ Action Plans with relevant catchment management scheme delivery partners.
    Date: Complete
  6. Produce and distribute newsletters to all farmers/landowners in the catchment supplying raw water to College Water Treatment Works.
    Date: Complete
  7. Organise and deliver ‘pesticide/sprayer’ workshop in the catchment supplying raw water to College Water Treatment Works.
    Date: Complete
  8. Inform on-going raw water risk assessment by enhanced monitoring including the deployment of Chemcatcher passive samplers during ‘high risk’ periods.
    Date: Complete
  9. Evaluate the dredging or restoration of College No. 4 reservoir.
    Date: Complete
  10. Investigate floating wetland ‘natural’ processes for improving College No. 4 reservoir.
    Date: Complete
  11. Install and commission new rapid gravity filters for primary filtration.
    Date: 30 September 2020
  12. Re-purpose and commission the existing primary filters for dedicated manganese reduction by oxidation and pH correction prior to filtration.
    Date: 31 October 2020
  13. Refurbish and commission the existing chlorine and sulphur dioxide system.
    Date: 30 September 2020
  14. Improve the automation/remote control of the works.
    Date: 31 October 2020
  15. Install Granular Activated Carbon contactors.
    Date: 31 October 2020
  16. Commission the Granular Activated Carbon contactors, through a phased blending period, to enable full operational use of the water treatment works.
    Date: 31 January 2021

(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 section (a) and (b).
    Date: Complete
  2. Implement, and keep under continuous review, the audit strategy defined in measure (c)1.
    Date: Until this Notice is revoked.

(d) not to supply water for regulation 4(1) purposes from College Water Treatment Works unless the conditions specified below are satisfied

  1. n/a

(e) to provide the following information in the time and manner specified to enable monitoring of progress towards the mitigation of the risks:

  1. Provide a progress report annually by 31 January and against the following milestones:
    • Completion of the review of the long term measures to confirm the long term solution.
      Date: Complete
    • Completion of planning, design and procurement arrangements.
      Date: Complete
    • Acknowledge completion of measure (b)11 to (b)15.
      Date: 30 November 2020
    • Confirmation of the full commissioning of the Granular Activated Carbon contactors as required under measure (b)16.
      Date: 28 February 2021
  2. Submit a report in the event that any completed measure of this Notice needs to be altered for any reason.
    Date: Ongoing for the duration of this Notice
  3. Submit a satisfactory completion report accompanied by a revised regulation 28(1) risk assessment report with Board level Director sign-off.
    Date: 28 February 2022

  1. Any product or substance used as a result of the requirements in this Notice must comply with regulation 31.
  2. 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.
  3. Failure by the Company to comply with this Notice may result in enforcement proceedings under section 18 of the Water Industry Act 1991.

Signed
Milo Purcell
Deputy Chief Inspector, on behalf of the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
03 November 2020
Reference: SWB-2020-00004
Ongoing for the duration of this Notice
Version 1

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