Authorisations and Undertakings

Improvements to Water Quality

If a water company supplies water that does not meet the required standards set out in the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2000 ¹ (the Regulations), it must investigate the cause of the problem and notify the Inspectorate of its findings. The Inspectorate assesses each notification and determines whether the failure is trivial or likely to recur. Water companies may also approach the Inspectorate if they consider that they are likely to fail a required standard.

If the Inspectorate considers that the failure is non trivial and likely to recur, it requires the company to put in place a legally binding programme of work to improve the quality Of the water to the required standard. There are three types of legally binding improvement programmes, these are:

• Undertakings (accepted under Section 19 of the Water Industry Act 1991);
• Authorisations (granted under regulation 20 of the Regulations); and
• Enforcement Orders (served under Section 18 of the Water Industry Act 1991).

The Inspectorate’s general policy (as set out in Information Letter 3/2003) is to put in place authorisations for European standards and accept undertakings for national standards. Authorisations cannot be granted unless the Inspectorate is satisfied that they do not pose a potential danger to human health. Enforcement orders will be served for European standards where authorisations cannot be granted. Orders must also be served in respect of failures of the standards for Enterococci and E.coli at consumers’ taps.

Further Information

Details of undertakings and authorised departures are available on each water company’s public record, which can be seen during normal office hours at any of its offices that are open to the public. You can find out more about programme of work that your water company is carrying out to improve your water quality by contacting your water company.