Index of Contents:
- Introduction
- Coliform Bacteria
- Pesticides
- Lead
- Iron and Manganese
- Cryptosporidium
- Drinking Water Quality Incidents
- Formal caution
- Further Information
1. Introduction
The Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) checks on behalf of the Government that water companies supply water that is safe to drink. This leaflet summarises the results of our checks on Mid Kent Water plc during 2001. You should read it alongside DWI’s leaflet, How Good is the Drinking Water? which gives more details on the standards and tests. This is available free of charge and on the DWI web site at www.dwi.gov.uk..
Mid Kent Water continues to supply you with drinking water of a high quality. In 2001, 99.84% of more than 27,400 tests met the drinking water standards. This is close to the overall figure for England and Wales of 99.86%. The tests are carried out on samples taken from water treatment works, service reservoirs and consumers’ taps.
None of the failures of the standards in 2001 were considered harmful to consumers’ health. Each failure was assessed and, where necessary, Mid Kent Water has taken action to prevent further failures.
Although the 2001 results are good, there are some matters which may concern you. These are detailed below including any steps taken by Mid Kent Water to further improve its performance.
2. Coliform bacteria
Occasionally, coliform bacteria may be found in drinking water samples; these are not considered harmful to consumers’ health. If coliform bacteria are detected, Mid Kent Water investigates immediately.
During 2001, low numbers of coliform bacteria were detected in the water leaving a small number of water treatment works and service reservoirs. The standard at service reservoirs permits 5% of samples to contain coliform bacteria and, in 2001, none of the Company’s service reservoirs failed the standard.
Coliform bacteria were detected in 0.6% of the water samples taken from consumers’ taps. Many of these failures may have been due to the condition of the tap and not the water itself.
The standard permits 5% of samples in a water supply zone to contain coliform bacteria. All zones met the standard.
3. Pesticides
Mid Kent Water carried out more than 6,200 tests for individual pesticides during 2001 and all samples met the stringent standard.
4. Lead
Samples do 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. If you are concerned about the possibility of lead in your drinking water, you should contact Mid Kent Water to see whether there is a problem.
A leaflet about lead in drinking water is also available from DWI free of charge and can also be found on the DWI web site.
No samples taken by Mid Kent Water failed the standard for lead during 2001.
5. Iron and manganese
These two parameters provide a good indication of the overall condition of the mains used to distribute drinking water throughout the area of supply.
During 2001, only twelve of 722 samples taken for iron failed the standard. Only two of 552 samples taken for manganese failed the standard. This reflects the impact of the renovation programme being carried out by Mid Kent Water to its distribution system. During 2000 and 2001, the Company renovated 249km of water mains. This programme covers most of the areas affected by the failures and is ongoing, with Mid Kent Water being required to renovate a further 261 km of mains by 2005.
6. 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 drinking water, New regulations require water companies to sample continuously and analyse daily for Cryptosporidium in the treated water at potentially vulnerable sites.
It is a criminal offence to exceed the new treatment standard for Cryptosporidium.
Mid Kent Water did not identify any sites that were at significant risk from Cryptosporidium.
7. Drinking Water Quality Incidents
DWI regarded two of the events notified during 2001 by Mid Kent Water as incidents. The details are shown in the table below.
One of the incidents assessed by DWI was of short duration and the Company took remedial action. A recommendation was made as a result of this incident regarding a customer’s water fittings. The other incident remains under consideration.
In 2001, DWI also assessed an incident that occurred in 1998.
8. Formal caution
In April 2001, Mid Kent Water received a formal caution, having admitted supplying water unfit for human consumption contrary to Section 70 of the Water Industry Act 1991.
The incident, which will remain on the files, involved the supply of discoloured water to parts of Small Hythe and occurred during June and July 1998.
Summary of water quality incidents reported in 2001
Type of incident
No.of incidents
Assessment completed
Areas affected
Supply of discoloured water
1
No
Maidstone (November)
Microbiological contamination of supplies
1
Yes
Hodsall Street (Kuly)
9. Further information
If you would like more information about drinking water quality the following leaflets are available free of charge from DWI and can also be found on the DWI web site:
What do we do?
How good is the drinking water?
Problems with your drinking water
Chlorine, smell and taste
Discoloured water
Lead in drinking water
Private water supplies
Water hardness
Tap water, where does it come from and how is it made safe to drink?
Using lead-free solder for drinking water fittings
DWI reports on each water company
[ Previous ] [ Contents ] [ Next ]
| A - Z Index | Business and Technical | Consumer Information | Contacting us |
| DWI Home Page | News | Product Approval | Search our site | Wales |
Drinking Water Inspectorate,
Floor 2/A1, Ashdown House, 123 Victoria Street, London, SW1E 6DE
Telephone : 020 7944 5956 - Facsimile : 020 7944 5969
E-mail: dwi.enquiries@defra.gsi.gov.uk
Published 10 July 2002
Return to Publications and Reports Index
Return to Drinking Water Inspectorate Home Page
Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA)Home Page
The National Assembly for Wales / Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru Home Page
Web site terms
© Crown copyright 2002