Archive:
(for archive/historical purposes, this document has not been updated)Index of Contents:
- Introduction
- Bacteria
- Pesticides
- Lead
- Iron and Manganese
- Cryptosporidium
- Drinking Water Quality Incidents
- Determinations in 1998
1. Introduction
The Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) checks that water companies supply water that is safe to drink when it reaches your home. This leaflet summarises the results of our checks on Cholderton and District Water Company during 1998 and should be read in conjunction with DWI's "How Good is the Drinking Water ?" leaflet which is available from us free of charge.
Cholderton and District Water continues to supply you with drinking water of a high quality. The Company achieved 100% compliance during 1995, 1996 and 1997. However this year a single test result failed to meet the required standards. This meant that only 99.8% of the 528 tests met the standards, which is similar to the overall figure for England and Wales of 99.78%.
Although the 1998 results are good, we know that there are some matters of everyday concern to consumers. These are detailed below.
2. Bacteria
Whenever bacteria are found in water samples Cholderton and District Water investigates immediately.
No bacteria have been detected in the water leaving the water treatment works or the service reservoir during 1998. Low numbers of bacteria were detected in one sample taken from a consumer's tap. The bacteria found were not harmful to consumers' health and it is likely that the failure was due to the condition of the tap and not the water itself.
3. Pesticides
All samples taken for individual pesticides during 1998 met the stringent standard. The standard has now been met for four consecutive years.
4. Lead
The Company has never used lead piping and lead is not considered to be a problem in the Company's area of supply. 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 from us free of charge.
5. Iron and Manganese and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH)
These three parameters provide a good indication of the overall condition of the mains used to distribute drinking water through the region. No samples have failed these standards since 1990 when the current regulations began.
6. Cryptosporidium
Cryptosporidium is a tiny micro-organism which can sometimes cause a form of diarrhoea called cryptosporidiosis. It has never been detected in the Company's water supplies.
Water companies will shortly be required to sample continuously and analyse daily for cryptosporidium in the treated water at their most vunerable sites. It will be an offence if they fail to meet a new treatment standard.
7. Drinking Water Quality Incidents
No incidents were reported by the Company to the Inspectorate in 1998.
8. Determinations in 1998
Parameter
Total
Contravening PCV No % Coliforms 13 1 7.7 Faecal coliforms 13 0 0.0 Colour 4 0 0.0 Turbidity 13 0 0.0 Odour 1 0 0.0 Taste 1 0 0.0 Hydrogen ion 13 0 0.0 Nitrate 13 0 0.0 Nitrite 13 0 0.0 Aluminium 4 0 0.0 Iron 4 0 0.0 Manganese 4 0 0.0 Lead 1 0 0.0 PAH 3 0 0.0 Trihalomethanes 1 0 0.0 Total pesticides 13 0 0.0 Other pesticides 76 0 0.0 All others 126 0 0.0 Total
316
1
0.3
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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
Updated 11 July 2001
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