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Southern Water Services Limited – GW HazRev Rotherfield WSW

Notice under regulation 28(4) of the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2016 (as amended)

Reference: SRN-2025-00011

Version Number: 1

Water undertaker as appointed under section 6 of the Water Industry Act 1991 (as amended): Southern Water Services Limited, with registered number 02366670 (hereinafter called ‘the Company’).

Assets Affected:

  • Rotherfield Midhurst WSW – TS006
  • Sussex North Supply System – Y008

Details of this Notice:

  1. The Drinking Water Inspectorate (‘the Inspectorate’) has received a regulation 28(1) report of the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2016 (as amended) (‘the Regulations’) from the Company dated 16 October 2020, which states that there is or has been a significant risk of supplying water from Rotherfield Midhurst WSW (and associated assets as applicable) that could constitute a potential danger to human health or could be unwholesome.
  2. Consequently, this Notice is served on the Company by the Inspectorate on behalf of the Secretary of State, under regulation 28(4) for the assets listed above, for risks associated with:

Description of Risk


Hazard/ Hazardous Event/ Parameter


Hazard I D


Pathogenic bacteria ingress route and failure of treatment process


E. coli


46952


Pathogenic bacteria ingress route and failure of treatment process


Enterococci


46953


Insufficient water supply to downstream consumers


No Supply


For example: 136619

Table 1: Table of the hazards, hazardous events, and/or parameters covered by this Notice, including the Hazard I D numbers and the description of risks.
  1. The Company are required to satisfy the following requirements.

The date given is that until or by which the requirements must be maintained or satisfied, as appropriate.

Requirements:

(a) To maintain the following measures for the period specified in each case:

  1. Ensure all water quality related, scheduled operational and maintenance tasks are carried out at the current prescribed schedule.
    Date: Ongoing for the duration of this Notice
  2. Ensure that any new risk identified is assessed in accordance with the drinking water safety plan methodology.
    Date: Ongoing for the duration of this Notice
  3. Ensure that treatment works start-up protocols are followed when restarting each site.
    Date: Ongoing for the duration of this Notice
  4. Ensure that the existing site specific disinfection policies are annually reviewed and kept up to date with existing alarm and shutdown levels.
    Date: Ongoing for the duration of this Notice
  5. Ensure the treatment works control and shutdown systems are operational and that all monitors are calibrated at the predefined frequencies.
    Date: Ongoing for the duration of this Notice
  6. Continue to track borehole headworks condition and risk via the borehole headworks database and drinking water safety plan.
    Date: Ongoing for the duration of this Notice
  7. Use site specific procedures where appropriate, including manual intervention or run to waste.
    Date: Ongoing for the duration of this Notice
  8. Issue advice to consumers, where required, of improperly disinfected water.
    Date: Ongoing for the duration of this Notice

(b) To review, revise or make operational the following measures, by the dates specified in each case:

  1. Complete and commission the following actions which arose from GW HazRev.
    SN0049 Rotherfield WSW – One operational borehole.
    SN0140 Rotherfield WSW – Borehole 3 condition and design.
    Date: 30 September 2028

(c) To audit whether the measures have been effective by the following means:

  1. Define an audit strategy to monitor the effectiveness of the measures specified in sections (a) and (b).
    Date: 31 August 2025
  2. Implement, and keep under continuous review, the audit strategy defined in measure (c)1.
    Date: Following completion of measure (c)1. onwards.

(d) Not to supply water for regulation 4(1) purposes from Rotherfield Midhurst WSW, or not to so supply unless the specified conditions below are satisfied:

  1. Not Applicable

(e) To provide the following information in the time and manner specified below to enable monitoring of progress towards the mitigation of the risks:

  1. Provide a progress report annually.
    Date: by 31 January each year.
  2. Submit a report to confirm completion and commissioning of the following actions which arose from GW HazRev.
    SN0049 Rotherfield WSW – One operational borehole.
    SN0140 Rotherfield WSW – Borehole 3 condition and design.
    Date: 31 October 2028
  3. Submit the audit strategy for auditing the effectiveness of the measures, as specified in measure (c)1.
    Date: 30 September 2025
  4. Submit any revisions of the audit strategy produced under measure (c)2.
    Date: Within 1 month of a revision
  5. Submit a report in the event that any completed measures of this Notice need to be altered in any way, for any reason.
    Date: Ongoing for the duration of this Notice
  6. Submit a satisfactory completion report accompanied by a revised regulation 28(1) report with Board level Director sign-off.
    Date: 31 October 2029

Further Details of this Notice:

  1. Any product or substance used as a result of the requirements in this Notice must comply with regulation 31.
  2. Under regulation 28(6) the Inspectorate, on behalf of the Secretary of State, may by notice served on the Company, revoke or vary this Notice.
  3. Failure by the Company to comply with this Notice may result in enforcement proceedings under section 18 of the Water Industry Act 1991 (as amended).

Signed

 Nicholas Adjei
Deputy Chief Inspector, on behalf of the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
31 July 2025
Reference: SRN-2025-00011 v1

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