South Staffordshire Water PLC
Overall Water Quality supplied by South Staffordshire Water in 2000
A total of 37,017 tests were carried out by South Staffordshire Water in 2000. Of these tests, 99.92% complied with the Regulations.
Company Information Amount of Water Supplied: 330 Ml/d Consumers Supplied: 1.2 million Areas of Supply: Ashbourne (Derbyshire) in the north to Halesowen (Worcestershire) in the south and Tamworth in the east to the M6 motorway in the west Water Composition: 50% from rivers and reservoirs 50% from boreholes and aquifers Treatment Works: 21 Service Reservoirs: 37 Km of Mains: 5,738 Water Supply Zones: 39 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 26,565 tests on samples taken in its 39 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 in 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
3,574
15
0.42
-
Odour
705
1
0.14
-
Taste
705
1
0.14
-
Iron
784
4
0.51
-
Treatment works
Of the Company’s 21 treatment works, 20 (95%) complied fully with the relevant standards. The failure of the standard for total coliforms at one works has been 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
There were no contraventions of the microbiological standards at any of the Company’s service reservoirs in 2000. 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 five 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
Laboratory performance testing and calibration – Policy and Practice
Audit of non-microbiological method – PAH
February
Annual assessment of 1999 compliance data.
April / May
Audit trails of five samples
October
Audit of plumbosolvency treatment and control programmes of work
November
Follow-up of response (by correspondence only) to recommendations made in the 1999 and early 2000 inspection reports.
December
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.
- Two of the incidents have been assessed by DWI. Both were of short duration and the Company has taken appropriate remedial action. One recommendation was made to the Company regarding its operational procedures.
- One incident remains under consideration.
Nature of Incident
No. of Incidents
Assessment by DWI Completed
Areas Affected
Supply of discoloured water
1
Yes
Sedgley, Walsall & West Bromwich (January).
1
No
Sedgley (November).
Failure of disinfection systems
1
Yes
Trent Valley Water Treatment Works (November).
Improvement Programmes
Carried Out by the Company
- One remedial programme was due for full completion during 2000 and this was completed on schedule.
Enforcement Action
- No enforcement action needed to be considered for the Company as a result of the Inspectorate’s work during 2000.
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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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