• Regulation 8 supplies: out of sight out of mind?

    This case study concerns the unintentional identification of a Regulation 8 private water supply to 25 properties through the compliance monitoring programme of a water company. On detecting coliforms in a random sample, the company took further samples from the same property and a neighbouring one upstream. Both of these additional samples contained coliforms, so […]

  • Land agents – a sectorial group in need of water safety information?

    In October, after power was restored to a public supply booster station, an operational sample was collected by the water company from a farmhouse and found to contain E.coli. On investigation the company identified that the contamination was likely to be arising in two privately owned tanks providing water to the farmhouse and three other […]

  • Conflict of interests in relation to a failing private supply located in a local authority’s area where the relevant person (owner and manager) is the local authority

    This case study relates to a supply located in a rural area of England, which comprises a tenanted dairy farm and other separately owned domestic dwellings. The farm is owned by the local authority and managed by the council’s estate department who, as landlord, is responsible for providing the water supply. However, the same local […]

  • Local authority successful in an appeal against a Regulation 18 Notice

    This case study relates to a private spring water supply in a rural area which serves five properties including a children’s nursery. The nursery additionally has its own borehole supply which is satisfactory. The nursery owner could switch to either a borehole or a spring supply internally at the property, either supply would then be […]

  • Contamination event due to insufficient source protection

    This case study relates to a small, rural, spring supply serving five owner occupied dwellings and a business centre where the occupiers are tenants. The supply originates from a spring located in a field used to grow crops and also comprises contingency arrangements in the form of a backup mains supply connection. The estimated daily […]

  • Borehole risk assessment

    This case study relates to a risk assessment of a borehole supply. The local authority carried out a risk assessment in August following the Scottish risk assessment framework and the Environment Agency’s good practice guide for borehole construction. Although the design and construction of the borehole prevented ingress of surface water contamination, the risk score […]

  • Appeal against a Section 80 Notice

    This case study relates to a private water supply located in a rural area, which comprised a borehole supply serving two networks. An unmetered network served the owner’s property and an adjacent cottage, while a separate metered network supplied a third property which, in turn, supplied a number of other properties, some of which were […]

  • Effective collaboration between a local authority and a water company to resolve a sufficiency problem with a Regulation 8 supply

    In November 2012, a water main serving a social club on an estate developed a leak which was reported to the local water company. This privately owned property was once part of a complex of buildings on a site owned by the Ministry of Defence (MOD). Over the years various parcels of MOD land had […]

  • Risk to a domestic water supply from another supply used for non- domestic purposes on a commercial premises

    A consumer called their water company in February to report that their tap water was cloudy and discoloured in appearance. The water company gave general advice about the causes of aeration and discolouration; however, a week later the consumer reported the problem again. When samples were collected two days later the water was cloudy, but […]

  • Oil contamination of a private supply

    This case study relates to a former private estate, which has been redeveloped in recent times and now comprises 18 domestic dwellings and a church. The properties are owner occupied and collectively the owners are responsible for maintaining the communal part of the development such as the road and car park, and including the water […]

  • Improving the safety and sustainability of a failing rural community water supply in a cost effective manner

    This case study relates to a Regulation 9 spring supply serving a village of 80 consumers, including a public house, offices, shops, holiday accommodation and domestic dwellings. The water supply is operated on behalf of the community by a committee constituted as a limited company, whose directors are local residents. Water charges are based on […]

  • Repetition of illness among seasonal workers at a fruit farm associated with mismanagement of the domestic and non-domestic water supply arrangements on the premises

    This case study relates to the water supply arrangements on a 200 acre fruit farm in England. There is a mains water supply to the premises, but there is also an irrigation system that can draw water from two other sources; a borehole and a river running alongside the boundary of the premises. During the […]