18 SOUTH STAFFORDSHIRE WATER PLC
Introduction
The Company supplies on average 330 Ml/d of water to a population of approximately 1.2 million. The supply area stretches from the edge of Ashbourne (Derbyshire) in the north to Halesowen (Worcestershire) in the south and from Tamworth in the east to the M6 motorway in the west. Water supplies are drawn from two major surface water sources and 24 boreholes. Surface water abstraction currently accounts for up to 50% of the water put into supply. Several boreholes have high nitrate concentrations and one has a high sodium concentration. As a result, the Company is adopting both blending techniques and nitrate removal technology to meet the requirements of the Regulations. Treated water from 21 water treatment works is distributed via 37 service reservoirs and 5,738 km of mains. The supply area is divided into 39 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 37,017 determinations in 2000. Of these, 99.92% demonstrated compliance with the relevant PCV, but 31 showed a contravention to have occurred.
Coliforms were not detected at 20 (95%) of the Company's 21 water treatment works. At all of the Company's 37 service reservoirs, coliforms were absent from at least 95% of samples. Of the Company's 39 water supply zones in 2000, all complied fully with the relevant water quality standards or had breaches of the standards which were trivial.
Microbiological quality of water leaving treatment works
The Company complied with the sampling frequencies required by regulation 17 at all of its treatment works in 2000.
Table 18.1 shows the Company's performance in 2000, with data for 1999 and 1998 for comparison. 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.
Contraventions of the microbiological quality standards at one works have been considered trivial.
Microbiological quality of water in service reservoirs
The Company complied with the sampling frequencies required by regulation 18 at 36 of its 37 service reservoirs in 2000. The shortfall at the remaining service reservoir is regarded as trivial.
Table 18.2 shows the Company's performance in 2000, with data for 1999 and 1998 for comparison. Differences over the last three years in the number of service reservoirs, and samples from service reservoirs, in which coliforms were detected are not considered significant.
There were no failures of the microbiological quality standards at any of the Company’s service reservoirs.
Water quality in water supply zones
The Company complied with the required sampling frequencies for all parameters in all zones.
Table 18.3 shows the Company's performance in 2000, with data for 1999 and 1998 for comparison. Differences over the last three years are not considered statistically significant.
All contraventions of the standards in zones are considered trivial.
Inspection
Laboratory performance testing and calibration - Policy and Practice Audit of non-microbiological method - PAH
Mr M Morgan, Inspector, assisted by Dr K J White, Inspector carried out an inspection of South Staffordshire Water Plc in a visit in February 2000. Mr Morgan concluded that:
the analytical arrangements are generally satisfactory, although some improvements could be made in calibration practice.
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 South Staffordshire Water Plc in October 2000. Based on Mr Walls' report Mr Waite concluded that:
the sampling and analytical arrangements are generally satisfactory;
there may be an incipient problem with metals analysis by ICP, but the Company are aware of this and are monitoring it; and
the results have appeared on the Public Record in good time.
Audit of plumbosolvency treatment and control programmes of work
In November 2000, Consultants WS Atkins, represented by Mr M Kimber, working under the direction of Mr P Halton, Inspector, carried out an audit of the Company as part of the Inspectorate’s work in agreeing with water companies’ their programmes of works to secure compliance with new lead standards. Based on Mr Kimber’s report, Mr Halton concluded that:
the Company’s process of sites/scheme selection for plumbosolvency treatment and/or optimisation measures is sound;
the integrity of the data submitted to the Inspectorate and used for assessing plumbosolvency was confirmed;
the schemes audited are justified on water quality reasons; and
the Company’s proposed steps to be taken and the proposed completion dates are generally sound.
Follow-up of response (by correspondence only) to recommendations made in the 1999 and early 2000 inspection reports Dr K J White, Inspector carried out an inspection of South Staffordshire Water Plc in December 2000. Dr White concluded that:
the Company has responded positively to the recommendations made in the 1999 and early 2000 Inspection reports.
As a result of all of these inspections, a total of 9 recommendations were conveyed to the Company for formal response, most concerning analytical arrangements. The Company is taking action or has already taken action on a number of the recommendations.
Improvement programmes
One undertaking in respect of improvement programmes accepted by the Secretary of State from the Company was due for full completion or the completion of major steps during 2000 and it was completed on schedule.
Incidents
Three of the events notified during 2000 by the Company to the Secretary of State under the terms of the Water Undertakers (Information) Direction 1998 were regarded by the Inspectorate as constituting incidents in which either drinking water quality demonstrably deteriorated.
Two incidents have been assessed. The first incident occurred in January and involved the supply of discoloured water affecting consumers in the Sedgley, Walsall and West Bromwich areas. The second involved a failure of the disinfection system at Trent Valley water treatment works, in November. The Company took all reasonable steps to protect consumers during each of the above incidents and has also responded positively to the recommendations made by the Inspectorate.
One incident, involving the supply of discoloured water to the Sedgley area in November, remains under consideration.
No other events regarded as constituting incidents came to the attention of the Inspectorate in 2000.
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 18.1 South Staffordshire Water plc
MICROBIOLOGICAL QUALITY OF WATER LEAVING TREATMENT WORKS2000 1999 1998 Number of water treatment works 21 21 23 Works with no sampling shortfall 21 21 23 COLIFORMS Total number of determinations 3,364 2,509 2,549 - number containing coliforms 1 5 5 - % containing coliforms <0.1 0.2 0.2 Treatment works with coliforms detected 1 4 4 - % of all works 4.8 19 17 FAECAL COLIFORMS Total number of determinations 3,364 2,509 2,549 - 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 18.2
MICROBIOLOGICAL QUALITY OF WATER IN SERVICE RESERVOIRS2000 1999 1998 Number of service reservoirs 37 37 38 Service reservoirs with no sampling shortfall 36 37 38 COLIFORMS Total number of determinations 1,862 1,807 1,900 - number containing coliforms 9 14 7 - % containing coliforms 0.5 0.8 0.4 Service reservoirs with coliforms detected 7 12 7 Service reservoirs with coliforms detected in more than 5% of samples 0 2 0 - % of all service reservoirs 0 5 0 FAECAL COLIFORMS Total number of determinations 1,862 1,807 1,900 - number containing faecal coliforms 0 0 0 - % containing faecal coliforms 0.0 0.0 0.0 Service reservoirs with faecal coliforms detected 0 0 0 - % of all service reservoirs 0 0 0
table 18x.3 Sout Staffordshire 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 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 (39 in 2000)* Total Contravening PCV Non-compliant No. % CBU CBU E Number in: 2000 2000 1999 1998 Coliforms 3,574 15 0.4 0 0 0 0 0 0 Faecal coliforms 3,574 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Colour 683 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Turbidity 743 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 1 Odour 705 1 0.1 0 0 0 1 1 0 Taste 705 1 0.1 0 0 0 1 0 0 Hydrogen ion 684 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Nitrate 725 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Nitrite 684 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Aluminium 723 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Iron 784 4 0.5 0 0 0 4 1 4 Manganese 684 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Lead 549 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 PAH 257 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Trihalomethanes 237 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Total pesticides 543 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Other pesticides 1,163 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Antimony 92 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Benzo-3,4-pyrene 257 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 All others 9,1999 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 TOTAL 26,565 21 0.1 0 - - - - - *39 zones in 1999; 40 zones in 1998.
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Drinking Water Inspectorate,
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Published 11 July 2001
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