Press Notice - 10 June 1998
Welsh Water pleads guilty to charges of supplying water unfit for human consumption
Dwr Cymru (Welsh Water) today pleaded guilty to supplying water unfit for human consumption. The incident involved the supply of discoloured water to the town of Tregaron and the surrounding rural area in June 1997.
The charges brought under Section 70 of the Water Industry Act 1991 were heard at Aberystwyth Magistrates Court.
Michael Rouse, Chief Inspector of the Drinking Water Inspectorate, said:
"I am very pleased to see that Dwr Cymru pleaded guilty. As guardians of drinking water quality, DWI will continue to consider prosecution in all cases in which consumers have received water which they regard as unfit for human consumption."
The Company was fined £3,500 on five charges of supplying water unfit for human consumption, and ordered to pay £4,500 toward prosecution costs, a total of £22,000.
Notes For Editors
1. The prosecution follows an investigation by the Drinking Water Inspectorate of an incident involving the supply of discoloured water to the town of Tregaron and the surrounding rural area between 11 and 14 June 1997.
2. Section 70 of the Water Industry Act makes it criminal offence for a water company to supply water which is unfit for human consumption. The Inspectorate investigates all drinking water quality incidents and can bring prosecutions in the names of either the Secretary of State for Environment, Transport and Regions or the Secretary of State for Wales. DWI will bring prosecutions if it believes that it has evidence that water unfit for human consumption was supplied, if it believes that the company does not have a defence that it took all reasonable steps and exercised all due diligence and if such a prosecution is regarded as being in the public interest.
3. The incident was caused by an operation to swab a length of new main prior to commissioning the main. The operation led to an increased flow in the trunk main supplying the area and the increased flow disturbed sediments in the trunk main. The operation was conducted by an untrained, unsupervised contractor, who was inexperienced in such operations. The Inspectorate considered that further steps could have been taken to restrict the flow into the new main, thus preventing the incident. Since the incident the Company has significantly improved its procedures to minimise the risk of this type of incident occurring.
4. The discolouration affected areas for about one day as it moved across from Tregaron to the coast at Llanon over the period 11 to 14 June. Over 600 complaints were received from the area. The Inspectorate interviewed a number of affected consumers who described the water as black or brown. The discolouration was caused by iron and manganese deposits. Consumers rejected the water on the grounds of its appearance and it is unlikely that there was any risk to health.
5. The Drinking Water Inspectorate was set up in January 1990 its main task is to check that water companies in England and Wales supply wholesome water and comply with the requirements of the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations.
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Published 15 September 1999 / Updated 11 July 2001
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