13 Portsmouth Water Plc
Overall Water Quality supplied by Portsmouth Water Plc in 2001
- A total of 22,751 tests were carried out by Portsmouth Water Plc in 2001.
- Of these tests, 99.89% complied with the Regulations.
Company Information
Amount of Water Supplied: 186.3 Ml/d
Consumers Supplied: 647,000
Areas of Supply: Hampshire, West Sussex, and Portsmouth
Water Composition: 13% from rivers and reservoirs
87% from boreholes and aquifers
Treatment Works: 20
Service Reservoirs: 43
Km of Mains: 3,200
Water Supply Zones: 23Water Quality in Water Supply Zones, at Treatment Works, and in Service Reservoirs
Water supply zones
- To be wholesome, water must comply with the standards set out in the Regulations. The Company carried out a total of 12,326 tests on samples taken in its 23 water supply zones. The table below includes only the parameters that breached the standard; all other parameters were fully compliant. A list of these parameters and their significance 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. These undertakings required remedial work to be carried out to ensure compliance with the individual standard.
Parameter Total samples taken Samples not meeting the standard Percentage Number of failures already covered by undertakings Total coliforms 1.850 3 0.16 0 Lead 167 1 0.60 0 PAH 107 2 1.87 0
Treatment works
- Of the Company's 20 treatment works, 15 (75%) complied fully with the relevant standards. Failures of the standards at two works were considered trivial and the Company has taken, or is taking, remedial action at the other three works. Differences over the last three years in the number of treatment works, and samples from treatment works, in which coliforms or faecal coliforms were detected were not considered significant.
Service reservoirs
- At all of the Company's 43 service reservoirs, coliforms were absent from at least 95% of samples. Failure of the faecal coliform standard at one service reservoir was considered trivial. Differences over the last three years in the number of service reservoirs, and samples from service reservoirs, in which coliforms or faecal coliforms were detected were not considered significant.
Cryptosporidium
- The Company carried out a total of 587 tests on samples taken from four sites. Very low numbers of oocysts were detected in 30 (5.11%) samples taken from two sites. All results were well below the treatment standard and there were no associated outbreaks of cryptosporidiosis.
Company Audit and Inspection
- The Company was inspected or audited by the Inspectorate or its appointed consultants on a number of occasions during 2001. Where relevant, report summaries are available in the 'Business and Technical' section of the web site under 'Audit and Inspection'.
Audit or Inspection Date Audit of incident notification procedures
February Site inspection of work being carried out on the distribution system
February Review of policies and procedures on contaminated land
February Review of plumbosolvency treatment and control programmes of work
November Audit of procedures for compliance with Regulation 25
December Inspection of two service reservoirs
December Audit trails of five samples December Audit of each Cryptosporidium sampling site Various dates during the year
- Fifteen recommendations were made in respect of action required to avoid the risk of a breach of a regulatory duty. These recommendations were mainly in relation to the audit trails and the site inspection of work on the distribution system.
- Three recommendations for improvements were made in relation to the plumbosolvency treatment for lead.
Incidents
- The Inspectorate regarded two of the events notified during 2001 by the Company as drinking water incidents. For further details on the classification of incidents see Chapter C, 'Events affecting Water Quality', in Part 3.
- During 2001, assessment was also completed for one incident that occurred in 1999 and for one incident that occurred in 2000.
- Both incident assessments from 2001 remain under consideration.
Nature of incident
No. of incidents Assessment completed by DWI Areas affected Supply of discoloured water
2 No Eastney (June)
Festing Road, Southsea (November)
Improvement Programmes
- Four remedial programmes were due for completion during 2001. These were to investigate coliform failures at the Northbrook, Slindon, Fishbourne and Lavant works and take remedial action as appropriate. All four programmes of work were completed on schedule .
- The Company had completed its distribution system improvement programmes by December 2001.
- The Company has improvement programmes to meet the new and revised standards set down in the new Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2000, which will come into force on 25 December 2003. These relate to additional work required to meet the new standard for lead. The Company also has programmes of work to reduce any potential risk from Cryptosporidium oocysts at 16 sites. Progress with delivery of the programmes is monitored by the Inspectorate, and has been satisfactory.
Enforcement Action
- The table below indicates areas where, in 2001, the Inspectorate considered taking enforcement action for regulatory breaches, and where an undertaking was submitted or where the Company took appropriate action.
Parameter/Area Regulation breached Location Outcome Taste and odour Regulation 21(2)(d) Laboratory Action taken by Company Sampling frequency shortfalls Regulation 17 One water treatment works Discussions ongoing Sampling frequency shortfalls Regulation 18 Five service reservoirs Discussions ongoing Sampling frequency shortfalls Regulation 13 22 supply zones Discussions ongoing
table 13.1 Portsmouth Water plc
MICROBIOLOGICAL QUALITY OF WATER LEAVING TREATMENT WORKS2001 2000 1999 Number of water treatment works 20 20 20 Works with no sampling shortfall 19 20 20 COLIFORMS Total number of determinations 3,044 3,391 3,180 - number containing coliforms 9 12 16 - % containing coliforms 0.3 0.4 0.5 Treatment works with coliforms detected 5 5 7 - % of all works 25 25 35 FAECAL COLIFORMS Total number of determinations 3,047 3,391 3,180 - number containing faecal coliforms 1 1 2 - % containing faecal coliforms <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 Treatment works with faecal coliforms detected 1 1 2 - % of all works 5 5 10
table 13.2 Portsmouth Water plc
MICROBIOLOGICAL QUALITY OF WATER IN SERVICE RESERVOIRS2001 2000 1999 Number of service reservoirs 43 43 43 Service reservoirs with no sampling shortfall 38 39 40 COLIFORMS Total number of determinations 2,167 2,158 2,066 - number containing coliforms 8 9 5 - % containing coliforms 0.4 0.4 0.2 Service reservoirs with coliforms detected 8 8 5 Service reservoirs with coliforms detected in more than 5% of samples 0 0 0 - % of all service reservoirs 0 0 0 FAECAL COLIFORMS Total number of determinations 2,167 2,158 2,066 - number containing faecal coliforms 1 2 1 - % containing faecal coliforms <0.1 <0.1 <0.1 Service reservoirs with faecal coliforms detected 1 2 1 - % of all service reservoirs 2.3 4.7 2.3
table 13.3 Portsmouth Water plc
WATER QUALITY IN SUPPLY ZONESColumns 'CBU' show, for determinations, contraventions covered by undertakings and, for zones, the total number of zones covered by undertakings in 2001. Column 'E' shows the number of zones for which new enforcement action is under consideration as a result of contraventions of the PCV in 2001. PARAMETER DETERMINATIONS in 2001 ZONES (23 in 2001)* Total Contravening PCV Non-compliant No. % CBU CBU E Number in: 2001 2001 2000 1999 Coliforms 1,850 3 0.2 0 0 0 0 0 0 Faecal coliforms 1,850 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 Colour 167 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Turbidity 148 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 1 Odour 160 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Taste 178 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Hydrogen ion 269 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Nitrate 276 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Nitrite 264 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Aluminium 196 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Iron 202 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 1 Manganese 178 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Lead 167 1 0.6 0 0 0 1 0 0 PAH 107 2 1.9 0 0 0 2 2 5 Trihalomethanes 99 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Total pesticides 125 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Other pesticides 970 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 All others 5,120 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 TOTAL 12,326 6 <0.1 0 - - - - - *23 zones in 2000; 23 zones in 1999. [ Previous ] [ Contents ] [ Next ]
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Drinking Water Inspectorate,
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Telephone : 020 7944 5956 - Facsimile : 020 7944 5969
E-mail: dwi.enquiries@defra.gsi.gov.uk
Published 10 July 2002
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