Anglian Water Services Ltd – Notice Under Section 20 of the Water Industry Act 1991
Notice of Proposal to Make and Enforcement Order
The Chief Inspector of Drinking Water, on behalf of the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, gives notice as required by section 20 of the Water Industry Act 1991 that –
- The Inspectorate proposes to make an enforcement order under section 18 of the Water Industry Act 1991 (‘the Act’) on Anglian Water Services Limited, with registered number 02366656, (‘the company’)
- The making of an order is proposed on the basis that the company is contravening conditions of its appointment by way of failure to comply with requirements contained in notices served on it under regulation 28(4) of the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2016 (‘the Regulations’), pertaining to Tanks Inspections Over Ten Years (reference ANH-2022-00005 v2), rendering it liable to enforcement actions under regulation 38 of the Regulations.
- The contravention is not considered to be trivial to the extent that exceptions outlined in section 19 of the Act should be applied.
- The effect of this order will be to place the company under a statutory obligation, which requires compliance with the steps and reporting outlined in the attached Schedule of Works.
- If the order is made, failure to carry out the steps and reporting set out in the Schedule of Works will be considered a contravention of the requirements of the order.
- Representations or objections with respect to the making of the order may be made by 26 March 2026 and should be addressed to Marcus Rink, Chief Inspector of Drinking Water at dwi.enforcement@defra.gov.uk.
- Any representations or objections which are duly made and not withdrawn by26 March 2026 shall be considered by the Inspectorate for the purposes of determining whether the proposed order should be made.
- Signed
Marcus Rink
Chief Inspector of Drinking Water on behalf of the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
5 March 2026
Anglian Water Services Limited
DRAFT Enforcement Order – Section 18 of the Water Industry Act 1991
DRAFT Reference: ANH-2025-00026
DRAFT Version Number: DRAFT
Water undertaker as appointed under section 6 of the Water Industry Act 1991 (‘the Act’): Southern Water Services Limited, with registered number 02366670 (hereinafter called ‘the Company’).
DRAFT Details of this Order:
- The company has failed to carry out the steps identified in the regulation 28(4) notice (ANH-2022-00005) served on it (Version 2 served 24 February 2023).
- The company was notified on 27 January 2026 about the Inspectorate’s intention to make an enforcement order under section 18 of the Act in respect of contraventions of regulation 28(4)(b) of the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2016 (‘the Regulations’).
- The Inspectorate has considered any representations or objections to the proposed order, which were duly made and not withdrawn.
- The Chief Inspector of Drinking Water makes this enforcement order under section 18(1) of the Act for the purposes of securing compliance with requirements imposed under regulation 28(4) of the Regulations.
DRAFT Requirements:
- The Company is hereby required to complete the steps and reporting outlined in the attached Schedule of Works with effect from the day after this order is made.
Reference: ANH-2025-00026 [DRAFT]
DRAFT Schedule of Works
Anglian Water Services Limited
Anglian Water Services Limited – Companywide Tanks Inspections
Date: TBC – DWI to populate
Reference: ANH-2025-00026
Version Number: [DRAFT]
Water undertaker as appointed under section 6 of the Water Industry Act 1991 (as amended): Anglian Water Services Limited, with registered number 02366656 and registered address Lancaster House, Lancaster Way, Ermine Business Park, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, PE29 6XU (hereinafter called ‘the company’).
Assets Affected:
- All company tanks and service reservoirs.
Steps to be taken:
The company is required to implement the following steps by the date given in each case.
- Prepare a plan stating the individual mitigation measures to protect public health in the event a tank is unable to be removed from public supply. Date: 30 April 2026
- Prepare individual tank isolation risk assessments, method statements and individual tank isolation plans.
Date: 30 April 2026 - Prepare a comprehensive plan specifying the inspection intervals for all treated water storage tanks, together with a detailed explanation of the methodology applied in determining those intervals.
Date: 30 April 2026 - Prepare a detailed plan to ensure that inspection intervals for all treated water storage tanks do not exceed ten years, in accordance with the company’s current risk-based methodology.
Date: 30 April 2026 - Review and amend the company’s current risk-based inspection methodology to an evidence-based model aligning with industry best practice to ensure public health protection is the priority. Complete a review and update (where required) the plans developed in steps 1, 2, 3 and 4 above.
Date: 31 March 2027 - Implement the plans prepared under steps 1, 2, 3, and 4, applying the revised company model, delivered under step 5,, to deliver an evidence-based inspection regime for all treated water storage tanks, ensuring that no tank exceeds an interval of 10 years between inspections.
Date: 31 March 2027 and to be completed by 31 March 2030 - Implement the revised methodology developed under step 6.
Date: From 31 March 2027 and to be completed by 31 March 2030 - Define and implement an audit strategy to monitor the effectiveness of the company’s delivery of the steps within this order.
Date: 2 months after the date on which the order is made - Review the company’s governance for the delivery of legal instruments (including notices served under regulation 28(4) of the Regulations, undertakings accepted under section 19 of the Act, enforcement orders made under section 18 of the Act and any other enforcement initiated by the Drinking Water Inspectorate), and adherence to dates contained within and produce a governance policy or procedure to ensure that legal instruments are delivered fully and on time.
Date: 30 April 2026 - Conduct a review of all legal instruments (as defined in 9, above), served by the Inspectorate, which are live on the date on which this order has been made, and ensure the governance is sufficient to meet the new requirements developed under step 10, and that the legal instrument requirements will be met.
Date: 31 May 2026
Reporting – all reports to be provided to the Drinking Water inspectorate by the dates given below:
Provide the Inspectorate with the following reports as specified.
- Report: Biannual progress reports
Detail: Provide reports on the progress made with implementing the steps to be taken. Reports should include a statement of implications of any delays to the steps to be taken and details of activities planned to bring the programme back on target.
Date: by 30 April and 31 October in each year that the enforcement order is in place. - Report: Additional assets at risk
Detail: If the company identifies that the inspection interval for any treated water storage tank will exceed 10 years – contrary to the company’s current risk assessment methodology, as amended to an evidence based methodology as specified under step 6) – it must submit a report to the Inspectorate detailing the tank concerned, the proposed plan for its removal from supply and inspection, and any associated remedial works.
Date: Ongoing for the duration of the Enforcement Order - Report: Completion of steps 1, 2, 3 and 4
Detail: Provide a report that details the outcomes of steps 1, 2, 3 and 4 above and the resulting plan for reducing all tank inspections to less than 10 years in duration.
Date: 31 May 2026 - Report: Confirm no tanks exceed the 10 years inspection frequency
Detail: Following delivery of step 4, provide a report confirming with evidence that no treated water storage tanks exceed 10 years between inspections.
Date: 30 April 2027 - Report: -based methodology
Detail: Provide the company’s updated methodology, reviewed under step 5, for treated water storage tank inspections and an accompanying report, detailing the review carried out and the consequential amendments.
Date: 31 March 2027 - Report: Implementation of the revised evidence-based methodology developed under step 6.
Detail: Provide a report confirming that all treated water storage tanks have been inspected within an inspection frequency, in compliance with the revised evidence-based methodology.
Date: 30 April 2030 - Report: Review of governance.
Detail: Following delivery of step 9, provide a report of the review carried out into the company’s governance of legal instruments and a copy of the new policy or procedure.
Date: 31 May 2026 - Report: Review of existing legal instruments (notices, undertakings, orders and other enforcement initiated by the Drinking Water Inspectorate).
Detail: Following delivery of step 10, provide a report confirming that the review of all Inspectorate issued legal instruments has been completed, any changes in governance, confirmation of expected, successful delivery (compliance with the requirements) and notification of any identified failings or delays.
Date: 30 June 2026 - Report: Delay or change report
Detail: If the company has any reason to believe it may not be able to meet any of the dates set out in this Schedule of Works, it must notify the Inspectorate as soon as reasonably practicable after being made aware and in any case, within one month.
Date: as soon as reasonably practicable after being made aware and in any case, within one month; ongoing for the duration of the order - Report: Change report
Detail: Submit a report to the Inspectorate in the event that any completed step of this Order needs to be altered in any way, for any reason.
Date: As soon as reasonably practicable after the company is made aware and, in any case, within one month; ongoing until revocation of the order - Report: Audit Strategy
Detail: Submit to the Inspectorate the audit strategy for auditing the effectiveness of all steps within this order.
Date: 3 months after the date on which the order is made - Report: Change of audit strategy
Detail: Submit any revisions of the audit strategy to the Inspectorate.
Date: Within 1 month of a revision - Report: Completion report
Detail: Submit a satisfactory completion report to the Inspectorate evidencing the completion of all steps contained within this order, accompanied by a Board level Director sign-off for the corresponding risk assessment.
Date: 30 April 2031