South West Water Services Limited
Overall Water Quality supplied by South West Water in 2000
A total of 118,951 tests were carried out by South West Water in 2000. Of these tests, 99.85% complied with the Regulations.
Company Information Amount of Water Supplied: 446 Ml/d Consumers Supplied: 1.5 million Areas of Supply: Devon and Cornwall Water Composition: 90% from rivers and reservoirs 10% from boreholes and aquifers Treatment Works: 36 Service Reservoirs: 351 Km of Mains: 15,000 Water Supply Zones: 81 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 65,775 tests on samples taken in its 81 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
4,701
16
0.34
-
Faecal coliforms
4,702
2
0.04
-
Turbidity
2,622
1
0.04
-
Hydrogen ion
2,623
3
0.11
-
Iron
2,626
75
2.86
70
Manganese
2,628
8
0.30
6
Lead
432
3
0.69
3
PAH
412
20
4.85
17
Treatment works
Of the Company’s 36 treatment works, 26 (72%) complied fully with the relevant standards. Failures of the standards at a total of 10 works were considered trivial and unlikely to recur. There has been a significant increase since 1999 in the number of treatment works in which coliforms were detected. All other differences are not considered significant. Service reservoirs
At 349 (99%) of the Company’s 351 service reservoirs, coliforms were absent from at least 95% of samples. Failures for total coliforms at the remaining two service reservoirs, and for the faecal coliform standard at five service reservoirs, are considered trivial or unlikely to recur as a result of action taken by the Company. 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
six 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
Follow up of recommendations to 1999 annual inspection
March
Annual assessment of 1999 compliance data
April / May
Audit trails of five samples
November
Review of procedures for operation and maintenance of the distribution network
November
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, especially in relation to analytical systems and procedures regarding the distribution system. Incidents
- The Inspectorate regarded seven of the events notified during 2000 by the Company as incidents in which drinking water quality demonstrably deteriorated.
- Six of the incidents have been assessed by DWI. Each was of short duration and the Company took remedial action. Ten recommendations were made to the Company mainly regarding operations and procedures.
One assessment remains outstanding.
Nature of Incident
No. of Incidents
Assessment by DWI Completed
Areas Affected
Supply of discoloured water
1
Yes
Paignton (February)
Loss of supply
2
Yes
Exeter, Bude (October).
1
No
Heybrook Bay (April)
Supply of water with taste and odour
1
Yes
Launceston (April)
Microbiological failures in distribution
1
Yes
Totnes (August)
Issue of advice following a burst main
1
Yes
Horrabridge (November)
Improvement Programmes
Carried Out by the Company
- No remedial programmes were due for full completion during 2000.
- The ongoing distribution system improvement programmes due for completion in 2010, which have been implemented by the Company, have been progressing satisfactorily.
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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