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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: 3

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:

  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 21 October 2021 , which states 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.
  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


Failure to control treatment process due to power or PLC failure.

C111 –Cryptosporidium


Multiple hazard ID including:Graincliffe WTW 44288


Failure to control treatment process due to power or PLC failure.

C002 – E. coli


Multiple hazard ID including:Graincliffe WTW 42613


Failure to control treatment process due to power or PLC failure.

A022 – Iron


Multiple hazard ID including:Graincliffe WTW 47441


Failure to control treatment process due to power or PLC failure.


A023 – Manganese



Multiple hazard ID including:Graincliffe WTW 47358


Failure to control treatment process due to power or PLC failure.

A021 – Aluminium


Multiple hazard ID including:Graincliffe WTW 41575


Failure to control treatment process due to power or PLC failure.

A002 – Turbidity


Multiple hazard ID including:Graincliffe WTW 47258

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.

  1. 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:

  1. 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
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. 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:

  1. 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: Complete
  2. Review and update the list of sites requiring improved resilience to electrical interruption, including UPS.
    Date: Complete
  3. Confirm the requirements for each site with regards to:
    • Improved resilience to interruption in communication between PLCs.
    • Improved resilience for loss of electrical power.
      Date: Complete
  4. Develop a plan for delivery of remedial activity to address the risk identified in (b)2.
    Date: Complete
  5. Implement and complete the programme of works identified in (b)3 and (b)4.
    Date: 30 June 2025

(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 various water treatment works, or not to so supply unless the specified conditions below are satisfied:

  1. 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:

  1. Provide a progress report annually.
    Date: by 31 January each year.
  2. Submit all formalised PLC start up procedures as per step (b)1.
    Date: Complete
  3. Provide a list of sites and associated remedial work action plans to demonstrate completion of steps (b)2, (b)3 and (b)4.
    Date: Complete
  4. Upon the implementation of on-site remedial activity for a listed works as specified in (b)5, submit a report confirming completion.
    Date: 31 July 2025
  5. Submit the audit strategy for auditing the effectiveness of the measures, as specified in measure (c)1.
    Date: Complete
  6. Submit any revisions of the audit strategy produced under measure (c)2.
    Date: Within 1 month of a revision
  7. 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
  8. Submit a satisfactory completion report with evidence of load-bearing testing accompanied by a revised regulation 28(1) report with Board level Director sign-off.
    Date: 31 July 2026

Further Details of this Notice:

  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 (as amended).

Signed

Nicholas Adjei
Deputy Chief Inspector, on behalf of the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
18 November 2024
Reference: YKS-2022-00005 v3

 

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