Mid Kent Water PLC
Overall Water Quality supplied by Mid Kent Water in 2000
A total of 27,512 tests were carried out by Mid Kent Water in 2000. Of these tests, 99.81% complied with the Regulations.
Company Information Amount of Water Supplied: 159 Ml/d Number of Consumers Supplied: 563,300 Areas of Supply: Maidstone, Ashford, Canterbury and surrounding areas Water Composition: 12% from rivers and reservoirs
88% from boreholes and aquifersTreatment Works: 31 Service Reservoirs: 68 Km of Mains: 4,167 Water Supply Zones: 21 Water Quality in Water Supply Zones, at Treatment Works, and in Service Reservoirs
Water supply zones
- In general, to be wholesome, water must comply with the standards set out in the Regulations. The Company carried out a total of 14,628 tests on samples taken in its 21 water supply zones. The table below includes only the parameters that breached the standard. All other parameters fully complied with the standards. Parameter meanings can be found at the beginning of this section.
- The last column indicates the number of failures in zones already covered by legally binding undertakings given by the Company to carry out remedial works to overcome the difficulty in meeting the individual standard.
Parameter
Total samples taken
Samples not meeting the standard
Percentage
Number of failures already covered by undertakings
Total coliforms
1,576
12
0.76
-
Faecal coliforms
1,576
2
0.13
-
Iron
571
18
3.15
17
Manganese
355
4
1.13
2
PAH
144
9
6.25
-
Treatment works
Of the Company's 31 treatment works, 29 (94%) complied fully with the relevant standards. The failures at the other two treatment works were considered trivial and unlikely to recur. Differences over the last three years in the number of treatment works, and samples from treatment works, in which coliforms were detected are not considered significant.
Service reservoirs
At all of the Company's 68 service reservoirs, coliforms were absent from at least 95% of samples. There was one failure of the standard for faecal coliforms which was considered to be trivial. There has been a significant decrease since 1999 in the number of service reservoirs, and samples from service reservoirs, in which faecal coliforms were detected. All other differences are not considered significant. Company Audit and Inspection
Link to expanded information (web site version)
- The Company was inspected or audited by DWI or its appointed consultants on four occasions in 2000. Where relevant, report summaries are available in the ‘Business and Technical’ section of DWI’s web site under ‘Audit and Inspection’.
Audit or Inspection
Date
Annual assessment of 1999 compliance data
April/May
Audit trails of five samples
October
Audit of plumbosolvency treatment and control programmes of work
November
Inspection of distribution system improvement programme progress.
Ongoing
No major deficiencies were identified but a number of recommendations were made regarding analytical systems. Incidents
The Inspectorate did not regard any of the events notified during 2000 by the Company as incidents in which drinking water quality demonstrably deteriorated.
- During 2000 an assessment was completed for one incident that occurred in 1999. One incident from 1998 remains under consideration.
Prosecutions
DWI initiated legal proceedings against the Company in 1999 in respect of a discoloured water incident which occurred in 1998. On 12 March 2001, the Company pleaded guilty at Maidstone Crown Court to supplying water unfit for human consumption to consumers in parts of Hadlow. For further information please see ‘Events affecting Water Quality ’ in Part 3. Improvement Programmes Carried Out by the Company
- No remedial programmes were due for completion during 2000.
- The ongoing distribution system improvement programmes due for completion in 2005, which have been implemented by the Company, have been progressing satisfactorily.
Enforcement Action
- The table below indicates areas where DWI is considering, or has taken enforcement action for, breaches of regulations.
Parameter/Area
Number
Regulation Breached
Faecal coliforms
1 zone
Regulation 3(3)(c)
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Drinking Water Inspectorate,
Floor 2/A1, Ashdown House, 123 Victoria Street, London, SW1E 6DE
Telephone : 020 7944 5956 - Facsimile : 020 7944 5969
E-mail: dwi_enquiries@detr.gov.uk
Published 11 July 2001
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