Private Drinking Water Supplies
West Somerset Council has a general duty under the Water Industry Act 1991 to take all steps appropriate for keeping informed about the wholesomeness and sufficiency of drinking waters in the district, including private water supplies or those arising through private wells, springs and boreholes. The wholesomeness of water is a quality standard prescribed by the EU and is a benefit enjoyed by all other member states.
West Somerset Council has over 700 private water supplies, which require a minimum of about 160 compliance visits, including approx. 55 risk assessments or full inspections every year.
The duty to monitor or to take and analyse drinking water from a private supply, is conveyed by regulation 7 of the Private Water Supplies Regulations 2009. To comply with this duty the Council has set up a sampling programme for all it’s commercial and multiple domestic drinking water supplies.
In order to continue with the general obligation under the Act and regulations, the Council must also carry out a full risk assessment a min. of every five years. These assessments look at such items such as the condition of the storage reservoir, the protection offered to the spring, well or borehole and also the vulnerability of the source pollution. Maps of the water supply also need to be drawn up following these inspections. Records are held for at least for 30 years.
On some rare occasions, following sampling and analysis, if there is a potential danger to human health, and improvements cannot be secured informally with the relevant person, the Council is required to issue a notice under regulation 18. It is an offence to breach a notice served under this part or fail to comply with it. Relevant persons are owners or occupiers of premises benefiting from a private supply or persons exercising powers of management or control in relation to the source.
The Council will give at least twenty-four hours notice of the intention to carry out an inspection or compliance visit, however there may be occasions that access is requested at any reasonable time. The latter can occur when it is considered the water may be contaminated.
This monitoring is subject to the following charges (shown in the document 'Private Water Supplies Charges - Jan 2012'). These charges account for the reasonable costs incurred (officer time and analytical costs) borne by the Council in discharging these duties. These charges have been reviewed and agreed by WSC Cabinet Dec 2010, 2011 and Jan 2012.
The Council do not routinely test single domestic supplies, although they can be tested by request with a sampling charge plus analysis under Reg. 10. If you would like the drinking water tested for Radon and its breakdown products please contact Environmental Health team (currently not carried out, but may be done in future).
In order to assist in the provision of information and to ensure the details held are correct, there is a registration form available (see Related Documents).
Should it appear that your water supply has not been tested or you require additional information please contact the Council on 01643 703704 or email customerservices@westsomerset.gov.uk
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