Yorkshire Water Services Limited – Water Treatment Works Control Systems
Notice under regulation 28(4) of the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2016 (as amended)
Reference: YKS-2022-00005
Version Number: 2
Water undertaker as appointed under section 6 of the Water Industry Act 1991 (as amended): Yorkshire Water Services Limited, with registered number 02366682 (hereinafter called ‘the Company’).
Assets Affected:
Water treatment works and downstream zones listed in appendix one
Details of this Notice:
- The Drinking Water Inspectorate (‘the Inspectorate’) has received a set of regulation 28(1) reports of the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2016 (as amended) (‘the Regulations’) from the Company dated 21 October 2021 with subsequent risk assessment reports in May 2022, which state that there is or has been a significant risk of supplying water from various 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/Parameter |
---|---|
Failure to control treatment process due to power or PLC failure |
Cryptosporidium |
Failure to control treatment process due to power or PLC failure |
E. coli |
Failure to control treatment process due to power or PLC failure |
Iron |
Failure to control treatment process due to power or PLC failure |
Manganese |
Failure to control treatment process due to power or PLC failure |
Aluminium |
Failure to control treatment process due to power or PLC failure |
Turbidity |
- 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:
- Operate all WTWs in accordance with current company policy, standards, and procedures aligning recognised standards of good practice.
Date: Ongoing for the duration of this Notice - Continue to maintain a training programme to ensure all Instrumentation, Control and Automation (ICA) staff are competent to resolve issues on works in and out of hours.
Date: Ongoing for the duration of this Notice - Ensure all drinking water ICA staff have access to the correct hardware and software to efficiently complete required tasks.
Date: Ongoing for the duration of this Notice - Continue proactive maintenance programme for Uninterruptable Power Supplies (UPSs) and Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions.
Date: Ongoing for the duration of this Notice - Continuously review the power supply testing procedure, frequency of testing and update where required.
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:
- Formalise PLC start up procedures for after a power failure for each named works which are to be used prior to and during remedial activity upgrades defined in (b)3
Date: 31 December 2022 - Review and update the list of sites requiring improved resilience to electrical interruption, including UPS
Date: 30 November 2022 - Confirm the requirements for each site with regards to:
- Improved resilience to interruption in communication between PLCs
- Date: 30 November 2022
- Improved resilience for loss of electrical power
- Date: 30 November 2022
- Develop a plan for delivery of remedial activity to address the risk identified in (b)2
Date: 30 November 2022 - Implement and complete the programme of works identified in (b)3 and (b)4
Date: 31 March 2025
(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).
Date: 30 November 2022 - 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 various water 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. - Submit all formalise PLC start up procedures as per step (b)1
Date: 31 December 2022 - Provide a list of sites and associated remedial work action plans to demonstrate completion of steps (b)2, (b)3 and (b)4
Date: 31 December 2022 - Upon implementation and completion of remedial activity for a listed works (b)5 submit completion report with evidence of load-bearing testing to demonstrate the benefit and updated Regulation 28(1) report.
Date: Upon site completion or by 31 March 2026 - Submit the audit strategy for auditing the effectiveness of the measures, as specified in measure (c)1.
Date: 31 December 2022 - 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 March 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
Nicholas Adjei
Deputy Chief Inspector, on behalf of the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
15 September 2022
Reference: YKS-2022-00005
Appendix One
Asset Name |
Reference |
Associated Zones |
Graincliffe WTW |
T4692722 |
Z4800503 Airedale 2004, |
Elvington WTW |
T2692940 |
Z1806419 Pontefract 2019, |
Headingley WTW |
T1691802, |
Z1801319 Leeds Grid 2019, |
Thornton Steward WTW |
T2698150 |
Z2800819 Catterick and Richmond 2019, |
Albert WTW |
T4690220 |
Z1805517 Morley Ossett 2017, |
Embsay WTW |
T4692155 |
Z4803103 Keighley 2004, |
Ingbirchworth WTW |
T3692910 |
Z3800319 Barnsley – Pennine 2019, |
TopHill Low WTW |
T2698270 |
Z2800519 Beverley 2019, |
Eccup 1 WTW |
T1691050 |
Z1801319 Leeds Grid 2019, |
Keldgate WTW |
T2695050 |
Z2806719 Pickering 2019 |
Rivelin WTW |
T3694100, |
Z3800619 Aughton 2019, |
Loftsome Bridge WTW |
T2690800 |
Z1806419 Pontefract 2019, |
Huby WTW |
T2692680 |
Z2801719 Easingwold 2019 |
Ruswarp WTW |
T2693100 |
Z2803003 Esk Valley 2004 |