Information Letter

17 March 2006

Information Letter 8/2006

To: Board Level and Day to Day Contacts of Water and Sewerage Companies and Water Companies in England and Wales

Dear Sir/Madam

CONTACT ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE NOTIFICATION OF EVENTS UNDER THE WATER UNDERTAKERS (INFORMATION) DIRECTION 2004 AND NOTIFICATION OF CRYPTOSPORIDIUM ANOMALIES

Purpose

1.      DWI Information Letter 7/2006 informed Companies of the completion of the organisational changes that have been taking place in the Inspectorate during the last year. The purpose of this letter is to inform companies of the consequential changes to contact arrangements for the notification of events under the Water Undertakers (Information) Direction 2004 and Priority 1 cryptosporidium anomalies (previously described in Information Letter 7/2005).

Detail

2.      Annex A* contains details of the cascade process to be used by companies when notifying events and Priority 1 cryptosporidium notifications. The first point of contact should be the Company’s nominated Operations Group Inspector.

3.      Telephone notification of cryptosporidium anomalies is only required for Priority 1 notifications. Priority 2, 3 and 4 notifications should be notified by email to the Company’s nominated Operations Group Inspector as indicated in Annex B to this letter. Annex C* to this letter contains the relevant email addresses.

4.      All cryptosporidium monthly data returns should be sent by email to dwimonthlydata@defra.gsi.gov.uk

5.      The new contact arrangements are effective from 1 April  2006.

Enquiries

6.      Any enquiries about this letter should be made to the Principal Inspector for your Region.

7.      Copies of this letter are being sent to Pamela Taylor, Chief Executive, Water UK; Richard Wood, Water Supply and Regulation Division, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; June Milligan, Environment Division, Welsh Assembly Government; Colin McLaren, Drinking Water Quality Regulator for Scotland; Randal Scott, Drinking Water Inspectorate for Northern Ireland.

8.      This letter is being sent electronically to day to day contacts of water companies. Please acknowledge receipt by email to dwi.informationletters@defra.gsi.gov.uk.

9.      Hard copies are not being sent and recipients are requested to note the classification of this letter.

Yours sincerely

Dr John Gray
Deputy Chief Inspector (Operations)

Annex B
* Information for Water Companies only