2 BOURNEMOUTH AND WEST HAMPSHIRE WATER PLC
Introduction
Bournemouth and West Hampshire Water plc supplies approximately 157 Ml/d water to about 431,000 consumers in parts of Dorset, Hampshire and Wiltshire. The volume supplied increases substantially during the summer months with the influx of visitors to the area. Almost 80% of the Company’s water supplies come from the Rivers Stour and Avon. The remainder comes from boreholes. The Company has eight treatment works, and distributes water through 2,800 km of pipes and 23 service reservoirs to 15 water supply zones.
Overall water quality
At water treatment works and service reservoirs and in water supply zones, the Company carried out a total of 15,946 determinations in 2000. Of these, 99.91% demonstrated compliance with the relevant PCV, but 14 showed a contravention to have occurred.
Coliforms were not detected at any of the Company's eight water treatment works. At all of the Company's 23 service reservoirs, coliforms were absent from at least 95% of samples. Of the Company's 15 water supply zones in 2000, all complied fully with the relevant water quality standards or had breaches of the standards which were considered trivial.
Microbiological quality of water leaving treatment works
The Company complied with the sampling frequencies required by regulation 17 at all its treatment works in 2000.
Table 2.1 shows the Company's performance in 2000, with data for 1999 and 1998 for comparison. Differences over the last three are not considered statistically significant.
There were no contraventions of the microbiological standards at any of the Company's water treatment works in 2000.
Microbiological quality of water in service reservoirs
The Company complied with the sampling frequencies required by regulation 18 at all of its service reservoirs in 2000.
Table 2.2 shows the Company's performance in 2000, with data for 1999 and 1998 for comparison. There has been a significant improvement in compliance with microbiological standards at service reservoirs since last year.
There were no contraventions of the microbiological standards at any of the Company's service reservoirs in 2000.
Water quality in water supply zones
The Company failed to comply with the required sampling frequencies for iron in one zone and PAH in another zone. The contraventions of the standards in zones are considered trivial or unlikely to recur as a result of actions taken by the Company.
Table 2.3 shows the Company's performance in 2000, with data for 1999 and 1998 for comparison. Differences over the last three are not considered statistically significant.
All contraventions of the standards in zones are considered trivial.
Inspection
Inspection of work being carried out on the distribution system Mr P Scott, Consultant of Binnie, Black and Veatch, working under the direction of Mr W M Waite, Principal Inspector, carried out an inspection of Bournemouth and West Hampshire Water in January 2000. Based on Mr Scott's report Mr Waite concluded that:
the company has made substantial responses to most of the recommendations made in the previous audit of water company procedures for operation and maintenance of distribution systems but there are still areas where the company responses are considered to be inadequate.
Service reservoirs and principles of water supply hygiene and; Service reservoirs, follow up of recommendations and Cryptosporidium sampling procedures
Dr K J White, Inspector, carried out an inspection of Bournemouth and West Hampshire Water Plc in a series of visits between March and November 2000. Dr White concluded that:
the Company has a programme of routine inspections of service reservoirs and has considered the implications of the Code of Practice for Security of Service Reservoirs. It has adequate monitoring facilities for the operation of its service reservoirs. Hightown service reservoir is in a good state of repair and the site is well kept. All hatches are of suitable construction and effectively alarmed with telemetry links to the control room. The compliance monitoring points are adequately housed and of suitable construction;
the work being carried out in Hightown Gardens to replace boundary stop taps was done so in accordance with the principles laid down in the Technical Guidance Notes of the Principles of Water Supply Hygiene. The Company’s contractor whilst demonstrating an understanding of good practice did not have full sets of procedures on site. The contractors were awaiting the arrival of their "Blue Cards";
the Company made a positive response to the recommendations made in previous inspection reports;
the Company has a good sampling and training manual for cryptosporidium sampling which subject to the recommended changes below is likely to ensure compliance with the requirements of regulation 23B;
the compliance monitoring points at Sway and New Milton service reservoirs are wholly satisfactory for purpose;
site security at Sway service reservoir and security measure to protect supplies are satisfactory. (Some finishing off work at the site including construction of a permanent perimeter fence however needs to be completed); and
site security at New Milton service reservoir was not wholly satisfactory due to the work being carried out by third party contractors (mobile telecommunications). Access to treated water supplies was however satisfactorily protected.
Investigation of computer systems and associated data management for drinking water quality information appearing on the Public Record
Consultants DERA, represented by Messrs. R Milsom and S Chapman, working under the direction of Mr W M Waite, Principal Inspector, carried out an audit in March 2000 of computer systems and associated data management for drinking water quality information appearing on the public register. Based on their report Mr Waite concluded that:
provided observations on one sampling run are representative of the practice as a whole, sampling is generally carried out competently in the Company, but that attention is required to the arrangements for keeping microbiological samples cool during transit;
the management of passwords needs to be improved; and
the Scientific Services Manager’s knowledge of the quality data system needs to be recorded.
Audit trails of five samples
Mr R M Walls, Consultant, working under the direction of Mr W M Waite, Principal Inspector, carried out an inspection of Bournemouth and West Hampshire Water Plc in October 2000. Based on his report Mr Waite concluded that:
provided observations on one sampling run are representative of the practice as a whole, sampling is generally carried out competently in the Company, but that attention is required to the arrangements for keeping microbiological samples cool during transit; and
the sampling arrangements are generally satisfactory, although they could be improved with better records of the conditions of transportation and storage and registration in the analytical laboratory. The analytical results have appeared on the Public Record in good time. There are deficiencies in the AQC and analytical arrangements some of which have been rectified.
As a result of these inspections, 24 recommendations were conveyed to the Company for formal response, mainly relating to computer systems and related data management and cryptosporidium sampling procedures. Two suggestions on various matters were also made. The Company is taking action or has already taken action on a number of the recommendations.
Improvement programmes
No undertakings in respect of improvement programmes accepted by the Secretary of State from the Company were due for full completion or the completion of major steps during 2000.
Incidents
Neither of the events reported by the Company to the Inspectorate during 2000 were regarded as incidents in which drinking water quality demonstrably deteriorated.
Enforcement action
No enforcement action needed to be considered for the Company as a result of the Inspectorate's work in, or pertaining to, the calendar year 2000.
table 2.1 Bournemouth and Hampshire Watrer plc.
MICROBIOLOGICAL QUALITY OF WATER LEAVING TREATMENT WORKS2000 1999 1998 Number of water treatment works 8 9 10 Works with no sampling shortfall 8 9 8 COLIFORMS Total number of determinations 2,100 2,514 2,349 - number containing coliforms 0 0 4 - % containing coliforms 0.0 0.0 0.2 Treatment works with coliforms detected 0 0 3 - % of all works 0.0 0.0 30 FAECAL COLIFORMS Total number of determinations 2,100 2,514 2,351 - number containing faecal coliforms 0 0 0 - % containing faecal coliforms 0.0 0.0 0.0 Treatment works with faecal coliforms detected 0 0 0 - % of all works 0 0 0
table 2.2 Bournemouth and West Hampshire Water plc.
MICROBIOLOGICAL QUALITY OF WATER LEAVING SERVICE RESERVOIRS2000 1999 1998 Number of service reservoirs 23 23 24 Service reservoirs with no sampling shortfall 23 23 19 COLIFORMS Total number of determinations 1,188 1,191 1,183 - number containing coliforms 1 8 3 - % containing coliforms <0.1 0.7 0.3 Service reservoirs with coliforms detected 1 7 3 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 1,188 1,191 1,183 - number containing faecal coliforms 0 4 1 - % containing faecal coliforms 0.0 0.3 0.1 Service reservoirs with faecal coliforms detected 0 4 1 - % of all service reservoirs 0 17 4
table 2.3 Bournemouth and West Hampshire 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 2000. Column 'E' shows the number of zones for which new enforcement action is under consideration as a result of contraventions of the PCV in 2000. Please refer to the Introduction to Part 2 for more detailed explanation of this table. PARAMETER DETERMINATIONS in 2000 ZONES (15 in 2000)* Total Contravening PCV Non-compliant No. % CBU CBU E Number in: 2000 2000 1999 1998 Coliforms 1,253 2 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Faecal coliforms 1,253 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Colour 180 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Turbidity 256 1 0.3 0 0 0 1 2 2 Odour 180 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Taste 174 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Hydrogen ion 180 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Nitrate 180 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Nitrite 193 6 3.1 0 0 0 3 7 1 Aluminium 180 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Iron 258 3 1.1 0 0 0 3 2 2 Manganese 180 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Lead 75 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 1 PAH 81 1 1.2 0 0 0 1 4 4 Trihalomethanes 75 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Total pesticides 75 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Other pesticides 2,309 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 All others 2,288 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 TOTAL 9,370 13 0.1 - - - - - - *15 zones in 1999; 15 zones in 1998.
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Published 11 July 2001
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