Archive:
(for archive/historical purposes, this document has not been updated)Index of Contents:
- Introduction
- Bacteria
- Lead
- Iron and Manganese
- Cryptosporidium
- Other Parameters
- Drinking Water Quality Incidents
- Determinations in 1999
1. Introduction
The Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) checks that water companies supply water that is safe to drink when it reaches your home. This document summarises the results of our checks on Bournemouth and West Hampshire Water plc during 1999 and should be read in conjunction with DWI's "How Good is the Drinking Water?" leaflet which is available here and also from us free of charge from the address at the end of this document.
Bournemouth and West Hampshire Water continues to supply you with drinking water of a high quality. In 1999, 99.64% of more than 17,000 tests met the standards. This is below the overall figure for England and Wales of 99.82 %.
None of the failures in 1999 were likely to harm consumers' health. We assessed each one and, where necessary, we have required Bournemouth and West Hampshire Water to take action to prevent further failures.
Although the 1999 results are good, we know that there are some matters of everyday concern to consumers. These are detailed below including the steps taken by Bournemouth and West Hampshire Water to further improve its performance.
2. Bacteria
Whenever bacteria are found in water samples Bournemouth and West Hampshire Water investigates immediately.
No bacteria were detected in the water leaving water treatment works during 1999. Low numbers of bacteria were detected in water leaving a small number of service reservoirs. The bacteria found were not harmful to consumers' health. The Inspectorate regarded all failures at service reservoirs as trivial. The number of bacteriological failures at consumers' taps rose slightly to 0.6% of the samples taken in 1999. Many of these failures may be due to the condition of the tap and not the water itself.
3. Lead
Samples occasionally fail the standard for lead, even where additional treatment has been installed to reduce the amount of lead picked up by water from pipework. In many cases this is due to the consumer's water pipes being made of lead. Bournemouth and West Hampshire Water had no samples in 1999 failing the standard for lead.
The Drinking Water Inspectorate advises consumers living in properties with lead pipes to seek advice from their water company. A DWI leaflet about lead in drinking water is also available here and from us free of charge from the address at the end of this document.
4. Iron and Manganese
These two parameters provide a good indication of the overall condition of the mains used to distribute drinking water through the region.
The number of samples failing the standard for iron is similar to 1998 but no samples failed the standard for manganese during 1999. This reflects the impact of the programme of work being carried out by Bournemouth and West Hampshire Water to renovate its distribution system. The programme is ongoing, with Bournemouth and West Hampshire Water being required to renovate 20 km of mains by 2005.
5. Cryptosporidium
Cryptosporidium is a tiny micro-organism that can sometimes cause a form of diarrhoea called cryptosporidiosis. There are a number of sources of Cryptosporidium other than water but due to new regulations water companies are now required by law to sample continuously and analyse daily for Cryptosporidium in the treated water at those sites which have a potential vulnerability. All water companies had to initially conduct risk assessments at their sites to identify if there was any significant risk of contamination. Bournemouth and West Hampshire Water found that there was significant risk at five of its sites and is now continuously sampling and monitoring the treated water. It is an offence if the new treatment standard for Cryptosporidium is exceeded. In addition to the regulatory requirement, the company is able to get early warning of problems from this monitoring system.
6. Other Parameters
As a consequence of adopting chloramination of some supplies to improve chlorine taste problems in some areas there has been an increase in the number of zones contravening the standard for nitrite. The contraventions did not make the water unsafe to drink.
7. Drinking Water Quality Incidents
No incidents were reported by the Company to the Inspectorate in 1999.
8. Determinations in 1999
Parameter
Total
Contravening PCV No % Coliforms 1245 7 0.6 Faecal coliforms 1245 1 0.1 Colour 180 0 0.0 Turbidity 277 2 0.7 Odour 180 0 0.0 Taste 177 0 0.0 Hydrogen ion 180 1 0.6 Nitrate 180 0 0.0 Nitrite 332 23 6.9 Aluminium 180 0 0.0 Iron 270 3 1.1 Manganese 180 0 0.0 Lead 100 0 0.0 PAH 167 12 7.2 Trihalomethanes 75 0 0.0 Total pesticides 75 0 0.0 Other pesticides 2290 0 0.0 Chromium 30 0 0.0 All others 2316 0 0.0 Total 9679 49 0.5
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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 12 July / Updated 11 July 2001
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