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
- Prosecutions
- 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 South East Water Limited 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.
South East 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 in 1998, 99.77% of more than 42,300 tests met the standards. This is similar to 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 South East 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 South East Water to improve its performance.
2. Bacteria
Whenever bacteria are found in water samples South East Water investigates immediately.
Occasionally low numbers of bacteria were detected in the water leaving Offham water treatment works during 1998. The bacteria found were not harmful to consumers' health. The Inspectorate was concerned about these failures and the Company has improved treatment at the works. One service reservoir failed to meet the required standard for total coliforms and the Company has taken remedial action to prevent recurrence of the failure. The number of bacteriological failures at consumers' taps has fallen slightly to just over 2% of the samples taken. Many of these failures may be due to the condition of the tap and not the water itself. Even so, the Inspectorate has initiated action to require the Company to take remedial action on the failures in three zones.
3. Pesticides
South East Water carried out more than 9,800 tests for individual pesticides during 1998 and all but two met the stringent standard. This reflects the significant investment in recent years to install treatment to remove pesticides from drinking water.
4. Lead
South East Water continues to have samples occasionally failing the standard for lead, even where additional treatment has been installed to reduce the amount of lead picked up by water from pipework. In all cases the householder has been informed of the problem. 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 availablefrom 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 is similar to 1997 and 1996, but no samples have failed the standard for manganese since 1995. There has been a significant reduction in the number of samples failing the iron standard since 1995. The number of samples failing to meet the standard for PAH has fallen for the second consecutive year. This overall improvement reflects the impact of the programme of work being carried out by South East Water to renovate its distribution system. The programme of improvement is ongoing, with South East Water being required to renovate more than 628 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 South East 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
In January 1998 discoloured water was supplied to the Mount area of Bexhill on Sea, when mains sediments were significantly disturbed following planned work on part of the distribution system. The incident remains under investigation.
8. Prosecutions
In August, at Tunbridge Wells Magistrates Court, the Company pleaded guilty to offences relating to the Company's failure to observe the required conditions of approval for the use of epoxy resin materials when lining water mains in parts of Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge and Seddlescombe between May and July 1997. The Company was fined £9,000 with over £3,500 costs awarded against the Company. South East Water has since modified its procedures in line with the conditions of approval.
9. Determinations in 1998
Parameter
Total
Contravening PCV No % Coliforms 2055 44 2.1 Faecal coliforms 2055 5 0.2 Colour 381 0 0.0 Turbidity 394 2 0.5 Odour 298 0 0.0 Taste 298 0 0.0 Hydrogen ion 676 0 0.0 Nitrate 319 0 0.0 Nitrite 322 0 0.0 Aluminium 305 1 0.3 Iron 642 14 2.2 Manganese 316 0 0.0 Lead 256 3 1.2 PAH 211 3 1.4 Trihalomethanes 146 0 0.0 Total pesticides 291 0 0.0 Atrazine 291 0 0.0 Bentazone 217 0 0.0 Chlorotoluron 215 0 0.0 2,4-D 217 1 0.5 Flutriofol 215 0 0.0 Isoproturon 215 0 0.0 MCPA 217 0 0.0 MCPB 217 0 0.0 Mecoprop 217 0 0.0 Simazine 252 1 0.4 Trietazine 252 0 0.0 Other pesticides 7323 0 0.0 Sulphate 111 0 0.0 All others 6259 0 0.0 TOTAL
25183
74
0.3
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Updated 11 July 2001
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