Archive:
(for archive/historical purposes, these documents have not been updated)Index of Contents:
- Introduction
- Bacteria
- Lead
- Pesticides
- Iron and Manganese
- Cryptosporidium
- 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 Mid Kent 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.
Mid Kent Water continues to supply you with drinking water of a high quality. In 1999, 99.56% of more than 23,700 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 Mid Kent 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 Mid Kent Water to further improve its performance.
2. Bacteria
Whenever bacteria are found in water samples Mid Kent Water investigates immediately.
Low numbers of bacteria were found in a single sample from each of four treatment works during 1999, all subsequent samples taken during the year were satisfactory. The Inspectorate was concerned about failures at one service reservoir. The service reservoir was taken out of supply and the Company took immediate remedial action. All the other service reservoirs met the required standards. Bacteria were detected in 1.2% of samples from consumers taps. Many of these detections could be due to the condition of the tap and not the water itself. The bacteria found were not harmful to consumers' health.
3. Lead
Mid Kent Water did not have any samples fail for lead during 1999.
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. In all cases the householder has been informed of things they can do to reduce lead levels at their tap. 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. Pesticides
Mid Kent Water carried out more than 3,800 tests for individual pesticides during 1999 and all but one sample, taken in January, met the stringent standard. Following completion in March of the installation of equipment to remove pesticides from the drinking water at a treatment works, as required by an undertaking given by the Company, there were no further failures during the year.
5. 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.
Approximately 3% of the samples taken during 1999 failed the standard for iron and there was a single failure for manganese. 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 of improvement is ongoing, with Mid Kent Water being required to renovate more than 351 kilometres 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 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. Mid Kent Water found that there was no significant risk at any of its sites.
7. Drinking Water Quality Incidents
The Company reported four incidents in 1999 in which drinking water quality demonstrably deteriorated.
An incident involving interruptions to water supplies to Kemsing/Plaxtol in July/August 1999 was also the subject of a detailed investigation by the Director General of Water Services. In August discoloured water was supplied to parts of Eccles and Burham when mains sediments were disturbed following work at the water treatment works supplying the area. Also in July/August low level bacteriological contamination was found at Kippings Cross service reservoirs. In November bacteriological contamination was detected in supplies in the Whitstable area. The Company has carried out reviews of various procedures in response to recommendations made by the Inspectorate. No other events regarded as constituting incidents came to the attention of the Inspectorate in 1999.
The Company has elected trial at Crown Court for allegedly supplying water unfit for human consumption during an incident involving the supply of discoloured water to consumers in Hadlow during June and July 1998. A further incident from 1998, also involving the supply of discoloured water, remains under consideration.
No other events regarded as constituting incidents came to the attention of the Inspectorate in 1999.
8. Determinations in 1999
Parameter
Total
Contravening PCV No % Coliforms 1526 19 1.2 Faecal coliforms 1526 1 0.1 Colour 178 0 0.0 Turbidity 389 0 0.0 Odour 61 0 0.0 Taste 61 0 0.0 Hydrogen ion 178 0 0.0 Nitrate 178 0 0.0 Nitrite 178 0 0.0 Aluminium 97 0 0.0 Iron 525 16 3.0 Manganese 255 1 0.4 Lead 39 0 0.0 PAH 305 30 9.8 Trihalomethanes 27 0 0.0 Total pesticides 361 0 0.0 Atrazine 104 1 1.0 Other pesticides 3721 0 0.0 Benzo-3,4-pyrene 305 1 0.3 All others 1833 0 0.0 Total 11847 69 0.6
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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 2000 / Updated 11 July 2001
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