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 Tendring Hundred Water Services 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.
Tendring Hundred Water continues to supply you with drinking water of a high quality. The number of results not meeting the standards has fallen since 1995 and during 1998, 99.9% of more than 5,000 tests met the standards. This is above the national figure of 99.78%.
None of the two failures in 1998 were likely to harm consumers' health. We assessed both and, where necessary, Tendring Hundred Water took 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 Tendring Hundred Water to improve its performance.
2. Bacteria
Whenever bacteria are found in water samples Tendring Hundred Water investigates immediately.
Bacteria were not detected at any of the Company's treatment works or service reservoirs, but on two occasions low numbers of bacteria were detected in the water at consumers' taps during 1998. The bacteria found were not harmful to consumers' health. It is possible that these failures may have been due to the condition of the tap and not the water itself.
3. Pesticides
Tendring Hundred Water carried out more than 365 tests for individual pesticides during 1998 and all met the stringent standard. This reflects the significant investment in recent years to install treatment to remove pesticides from drinking water.
4. Lead
None of the samples taken by Tendring Hundred Water failed the standard for lead. 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 failed the standard for iron, manganese or PAH during 1998. This may reflect the initial impact of the programme of work being carried out by the Company to renovate its distribution system. The programme of improvement is ongoing, with Tendring Hundred Water being required to renovate more than 69km of mains by the end of 2004.
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 Tendring Hundred 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 September 1998 low numbers of coliform bacteria were detected in the distribution system in Wivenhoe following work carried out on the distribution system. The Company took appropriate remedial action and advice to boil water was issued to the affected consumers. The Inspectorate was satisfied with the way the Company dealt with the incident.
8 Determinations in 1998
Parameter
Total
Contravening PCV No % Coliforms 398 2 0.5 Faecal coliforms 398 0 0.0 Colour 44 0 0.0 Turbidity 44 0 0.0 Odour 44 0 0.0 Taste 44 0 0.0 Hydrogen ion 44 0 0.0 Nitrate 62 0 0.0 Nitrite 44 0 0.0 Aluminium 44 0 0.0 Iron 164 0 0.0 Manganese 44 0 0.0 Lead 24 0 0.0 PAH 21 0 0.0 Trihalomethanes 38 0 0.0 Total pesticides 28 0 0 Other pesticides 365 0 0.0 All others 879 0 0.0 Total 2729 2 0.1
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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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