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Bulk Imports from Anglian Water, Thames Water and Essex & Suffolk Water

WATER INDUSTRY ACT 1991 (as amended): SECTION 19(1)(b)

THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOOD, AND RURAL AFFAIRS:

  1. is satisfied that Affinity Water Limited “the Company” in supplying water IN WATER SUPPLY ZONES RECEIVING BULK IMPORTS OF WATER ORIGINATING FROM GRAFHAM WTW OPERATED BY ANGLIAN WATER SERVICES LIMITED, HANNINGFIELD WTW, LANGHAM WTW AND LAYER WTW OPERATED BY ESSEX & SUFFOLK WATER AND ASHFORD COMMON WTW AND KEMPTON PARK WTW OPERATED BY THAMES WATER UTILITIES LIMITED which may be at risk of exceeding the standards for metaldehyde and total pesticides. This means that the Company is likely to contravene its duty in respect of supplying water which meets the Regulations under Section 68(1)(a) of the Water Industry Act 1991 and meets the requirement set in regulation 4(2)(c) of the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2016 (as amended).
  2. notes that Affinity Water has on 20 May 2020 given a new undertaking (DWI Ref No: AFW-2020-00002) under the provisions of paragraph 2(b) of the previous undertakings given on 23 July 2014 (DWI Ref no:AFW3389) to replace the undertaking and take the following steps by the dates shown:

Steps to be taken

  • Ensure that metaldehyde has been assessed as a hazard as part of the regulation 28 Risk Assessment for the supply systems supplied by Anglian Water Services Limited’s Grafham WTW, Essex & Suffolk Water’s Hanningfield WTW, Langham WTW and Layer WTW and Thames Water Utilities Limited’s Ashford Common WTW and Kempton Park WTW according to a Drinking Water Safety Plan approach.

Delivery Date: Ongoing

  • Medium term measures:
    • Continue to monitor water quality in the zones supplied from the above-named bulk imports, and liaise regularly with Anglian Water Services Limited, Essex & Suffolk Water and Thames Water Utilities Limited on progress with the measures being taken to secure compliance with the metaldehyde standard at the above-named WTWs.

Delivery Date: Ongoing until the revocation of this undertaking.

  • Long term measures:
    • Continually appraise the risk of metaldehyde and the total pesticides parameters as hazards in raw waters as part of the regulation 27 Risk Assessment for the supply systems associated with Anglian Water Services Limited’s Grafham WTW, Essex & Suffolk’s Hanningfield WTW, Langham WTW and Layer WTW and Thames Water Utilities Limited’s Ashford Common WTW and Kempton Park WTW according to a Drinking Water Safety Plan approach, and ensure that Regulation 28 documents are regularly reviewed and updates provided as appropriate.

Delivery Date: Ongoing

  • Reporting: Provide DWI with reports on progress with carrying out the steps set out in the undertaking. Reports to include at least the following details:
    • Metaldehyde monitoring data for the zones listed in the Annex to this schedule;
    • Details of contacts made with the supplying water company concerning the actions that company is undertaking to address the risk of metaldehyde in the water supplied;
    • Any other relevant information.

Delivery Date: Annually for the duration of the Undertaking. Reporting periods are January – December. Reports to be submitted by 31 January each year that the Undertaking is in place, (except for January 2025)

  • Provide a final report to DWI on the outcome of the activities undertaken by Anglian Water Services Limited at Grafham WTW, Essex & Suffolk Water at Hanningfield WTW, Langham WTW and Layer WTW and Thames Water Utilities Limited at Ashford Common WTW and Kempton Park WTW the solutions implemented and the conclusions drawn from other work carried out. Include as evidence of closure for this scheme appropriate documentation to confirm that the actions set out in this Schedule of Work have been completed and the extent to which the required outcomes have been achieved.

Delivery Date: When there is sufficient evidence of suitable mitigation of the risk (i.e. 3 years samples below 0.1ug/l and evidence of stable or decreasing raw water trends) or by 31 March 2025

  1. is satisfied that Affinity Water Ltd has given and is complying with an undertaking to take all such steps as appear to the Secretary of State for the time being to be appropriate to secure or facilitate compliance with the requirement of regulation 4(2)(c) of the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2016 (as amended).

Authorised by the Secretary of State to sign in that behalf:
Milo Purcell
Deputy Chief Inspector
Drinking Water Inspectorate
DWI Ref No: AFW-2020-00002
4 June 2020

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