Press Notice
22 May 2006
YORKSHIRE WATER PLEADS GUILTY TO CHARGE
OF SUPPLYING WATER UNFIT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION
Yorkshire Water Services Ltd pleaded guilty on Friday 19th May to supplying water unfit for human consumption at Harrogate Magistrate's Court. The incident involved the supply of discoloured water to consumers in the Harlow Moor area of Harrogate in February 2004.
In response to the verdict, Professor Jeni Colbourne, Chief Inspector of Drinking Water, said:
“ The Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) will investigate and consider prosecution in all cases where consumers receive water which they regard as unfit for consumption. I am satisfied with the outcome of the hearing. This demonstrates our firm commitment to consumers and to the safety and acceptability of tap water.”
The
Company was fined £2,000 on each of three counts and ordered to pay £9,051.28 toward
prosecution costs.
The Inspectorate will make the results of its investigation publicly available in due course.
Notes for Editors
- Section 70 of the Water Industry Act 1991 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, Food and Rural Affairs or
the National Assembly for Wales. The Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) will bring
prosecutions if it believes that it has reliable evidence that water unfit for human
consumption was supplied, where the company does not have a defence that it took all
reasonable steps and exercised all due diligence, and when such a prosecution is regarded
as being in the public interest.
- The prosecution follows an investigation by DWI of an
incident involving the supply of discoloured water to consumers in the Harlow Moor area of
Harrogate in February 2004. Yorkshire Water Services Limited carried out planned work on
the distribution system to replace two flow meters which, due to a valve being in the
wrong position, resulted in an interruption to supply. This action resulted in the supply
of water which was discoloured. The valve that was in the wrong position was not properly
checked prior to the work being carried out. This is not the first occasion where the
company have failed to properly check the status of valves prior to work being carried out
despite recommendations from the Inspectorate over previous incidents. A number of
consumers found the appearance of the water so unpleasant that they rejected it for
drinking and food preparation purposes.
- 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 drinking water and in doing so comply with the requirements of the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2000 .
ISSUED ON BEHALF OF DWI BY GNN YORKSHIRE AND THE HUMBER MEDIA ENQUIRIES: 0113 283 6593