Southern Water Services Limited
Overall Water Quality supplied by Southern Water in 2000
A total of 77,902 tests were carried out by Southern Water in 2000. Of these tests, 99.89% complied with the Regulations.
Company Information Amount of Water Supplied: 585 Ml/d Consumers Supplied: 2.22 million Areas of Supply: Isle of Wight, and parts of Hampshire, Kent and Sussex Water Composition: 30% from rivers and reservoirs
70% from boreholes and aquifersTreatment Works: 98 Service Reservoirs: 211 Km of Mains: 13,302 Water Supply Zones: 116 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 38,750 tests on samples taken in its 116 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
6,383
20
0.31
-
Faecal coliforms
6,390
1
0.02
-
Odour
416
1
0.24
-
Nitrate
891
4
0.45
-
Iron
1,117
1
0.09
1
Lead
534
1
0.19
-
PAH
572
35
6.12
32
Trihalomethane
479
4
0.84
-
Benzo3,4 pyrene
570
2
0.35
-
Treatment works
Of the Company’s 98 treatment works, 93 (95%) complied fully with the relevant standards. Contraventions at the other five 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 211 service reservoirs, coliforms were absent from at least 95% of samples. There were no failures of the standard for faecal coliforms. Differences in the last three years in the number of service reservoirs, and samples from service reservoirs, in which coliforms were detected 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 eight occasions in 2000. Where relevant, report summaries are available in the ‘Business and Technical’ section of DWI’s web site under ‘Audit and Inspection’.
Title
Date
Inspection of work being carried out on the distribution system
March, April
Annual assessment of 1999 compliance data.
April / May
Audit trails of five samples
October
Audit of plumbosolvency treatment and control programs of work
November
Follow-up of response (by correspondence only) to recommendations made in 1999 inspection report
December
Audit of procedures for operation and maintenance of the distribution network
December
Inspection of distribution system improvement programme progress.
Ongoing
No major deficiencies were identified but a number of recommendations were made. Incidents
- The Inspectorate regarded three of the events notified during 2000 by the Company as incidents in which drinking water quality demonstrably deteriorated or boil water advice was issued.
- In each of the incidents assessed by DWI the company took remedial action. Ten recommendations were made to the Company mainly regarding operations.
Nature of Incident
No. of Incidents
Assessment by DWI Completed
Areas Affected
Supply of water with taste and odour
1
Yes
Parts of Hastings and St Leonards –on– Sea (June)
Issue of Advice to boil water to consumers
2
Yes
Napchester area (November), Whitchurch (November)
Improvement Programmes
Carried Out by the Company
- One remedial programme was due for full completion during 2000 and this was completed on schedule.
- The ongoing distribution system improvement programmes due for completion in 2001, 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
Nitrate
1 zone
Regulation 3(3)(c)
Trihalomethanes
1 zone
Regulation 3(3)(e)
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Drinking Water Inspectorate,
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Telephone : 020 7944 5956 - Facsimile : 020 7944 5969
E-mail: dwi_enquiries@detr.gov.uk
Published 11 July 2001
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