In 2020 the Inspectorate published a case study in its annual report entitled “An established private water supply that was discovered during CoViD-19 pandemic lockdown restrictions”. This supply was found to be periodically insufficient, unwholesome and a danger to human health. The following case study relates to the prosecution of the owner/controller of this supply […]

Introduction Specific and often unique circumstances can sometimes make it difficult to determine whether a supply of water, other than a public supply, falls within scope of the Private Water Supplies (England) Regulations 2016 (as amended) and The Private Water Supplies (Wales) Regulations 2017 (the Regulations) or not. This situation often arises where supply arrangements […]

Introduction This case study concerns a private water supply that serves eight dwellings. The source of the supply is a spring that serves these properties via gravity-fed storage tanks. The supply is not treated as a whole, although some of the properties are fitted with UV disinfection units. The supply is maintained by a professional […]

When drinking water is discoloured, consumers will almost always contact their water company as clearly such water is not suitable for consumption. Whilst it is part of normal business for a company to respond by investigating the cause, less frequent, but by no means unusual, is that such investigations discover the supply is not the […]

• Ref: 2019/01

Introduction This case study concerns a private water supply which serves a community in Devon. The water is derived from a spring source in a rural catchment, predominantly used for farming. It provides a supply of water for domestic purposes, mainly to private residents, although some properties are rented by their owners for short term […]

Introduction This case study concerns a large spring fed supply, which is provided as part of a commercial activity. This feeds a village with a resident population of 200 which increases by 499 when a private party venue uses the supply. The source comprises several springs with collection chambers of differing construction materials, conditions. All […]

Introduction Private distribution supplies (regulation 8) are a water supply that is provided by a water company and then further distributed by the account holder to a third party on separately owned land, who are not water company customers. These were first included in the private water supplies regulations in 2010. Prior to this time […]

Introduction This case study concerns a large, commercial and public use supply in the north of England, which until April of 2020, was not known to the local authority. The supply is a spring source which feeds several properties one of which belongs to the owner and at least one which is rented together with […]

Introduction This case study concerns a large, commercial and public use supply in the north of England, which until April of 2020, was not known to the local authority. The supply is a spring source which feeds several properties one of which belongs to the owner and at least one which is rented together with […]

• Ref: 2020/04

Private water supplies can be used for several purposes, but they do not always fall within scope of the regulations. This case study shows just such an example at an historic water supply where the water was being used for a diverse range of uses in different buildings and the difficulties that local authorities sometimes […]

• Ref: 2019/03

This case study also highlights a further example of a water company and local authority cooperation. Private and public water supplies can sometimes be very difficult to differentiate and therefore resolve. Where there are added complexities then it is not unusual for the Inspectorate to provide additional advice. One such case arose in March 2019 […]

• Ref: 2019/02

This case study involves a Regulation 9 supply in the south of England which feeds a large city department store. The store comprises several restaurants and multiple points where customers and staff can consume the water. The supply consists of three abstraction boreholes and the water is treated by a sand filtration system, reverse osmosis […]

• Ref: 2019/04