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 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 Mid Kent Water Plc during 1998 and should be read in conjuntion with DWI's "How Good is the Drinking Water ?" leaflet which is available from us free of charge.
Mid Kent Water continues to supply you with drinking water of a high quality. The number of results not meeting the standards has fallen consistently since 1991 and during 1998, 99.62% of more than 22,100 tests met the standards. This is below the overall figure for England and Wales of 99.78%.
None of the failures in 1998 were likely to harm consumers' health. We assessed each one and, where necessary, we have required Mid Kent Water to take action to prevent further failures.
Although the 1998 results are good, we know that there are some matters of everyday concern to consumers. These are detailed below including the steps taken by Mid Kent Water to improve its performance.
2. Bacteria
Whenever bacteria are found in water samples Mid Kent Water investigates immediately.
On one occasion low numbers of bacteria were detected in the water leaving a water treatment works during 1998. The bacteria found were not harmful to consumers' health and all subsequent samples taken during 1998 were satisfactory. There were two bacteriological failures at consumers' taps in 1998. On occasion a failure at a consumer's tap may be due to the condition of the tap and not the water itself.
3. Pesticides
Mid Kent Water carried out more than 3,400 tests for individual pesticides during 1998 and all except one from one treatment works met the stringent standard. The Company is installing treatment at this works to remove pesticides from drinking water. This work will be complete by 31 March 1999.
4. Lead
Mid Kent Water did not have any samples fail for lead during 1998. 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.
The number of samples failing the standard for iron and manganese are unchanged from 1997. The number of samples failing to meet the standard for PAH is virtually the same for 1998 when compared with 1997 the difference being one less failure during 1998. To further improve the quality of water a programme of work is being carried out by Mid Kent Water to renovate its distribution system. The programme is ongoing, with Mid Kent Water being required to renovate more than 350 km of mains by 2005.
6. Cryptosporidium
Cryptosporidium is a tiny micro-organism which can sometimes cause a form of diarrhoea called cryptosporidiosis. No instances were reported to the Inspectorate of the detection of Cryptosporidium in water leaving Mid Kent Water's water treatment works during 1998.
Water companies will shortly be required to sample continuously and analyse daily for Cryptosporidium in the treated water at their most vulnerable sites. It will be an offence if they fail to meet a new treatment standard.
7. Drinking Water Quality Incidents
No events regarded as constituting incidents in which drinking water quality demonstrably deteriorated were reported by the Company to the Inspectorate in 1998.
However in June and July 1998 the Inspectorate received complaints of discoloured water from consumers in Hadlow and Small Hythe respectively, which are being investigated as incidents. Both cases remain under consideration.
8. Determinations in 1998
Parameter
Total
Contravening PCV No % Coliforms 1453 15 1.0 Faecal coliforms 1453 2 0.1 Colour 170 0 0.0 Turbidity 452 0 0.0 Odour 61 0 0.0 Taste 60 0 0.0 Hydrogen ion 167 0 0.0 Nitrate 167 0 0.0 Nitrite 167 0 0.0 Aluminium 97 0 0.0 Iron 450 12 2.7 Manganese 303 2 0.7 Lead 40 0 0.0 PAH 294 28 9.5 Trihalomethanes 27 0 0.0 Total pesticides 348 0 0.0 Atrazine 94 2 2.1 Simazine 94 0 0.0 Other pesticides 3273 0 0.0 Benzo 3,4 Pyrene 294 2 0.7 All others 1766 0 0.0 Total
11230
63
0.6
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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@detr.gov.uk
Updated 11 July 2001
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