Severn Trent Water Limited – Vale of Evesham Iron
Notice under regulation 28(4) of the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2016 (as amended)
Version Number: 1
Water undertaker as appointed under section 6 of the Water Industry Act 1991 (as amended): Severn Trent Water Limited, with registered number 02366686 (hereinafter called ‘the company’).
Assets Affected:
- ZWC31 – Vale of Evesham
Details of this Notice:
- 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 31 July 2025, which states that there is or has been a significant risk of supplying water within the Vale of Evesham Water Quality Zone (and associated assets as applicable) that could constitute a potential danger to human health or could be unwholesome.
- 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 |
|---|---|---|
Risk of iron breaches in the zone | A022 Iron | ZWC31-12467-CO-A022-A022-01A ZWC31-12467-D-A022-A022-01A |
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.
- 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:
- Regulatory sampling for iron at customer taps in Vale of Evesham zone.
Date: Ongoing for the duration of this Notice - Monitoring, tracking and reporting customer contacts for discolouration.
Date: Ongoing for the duration of this Notice - Responding to any PCV failure or customer contact in line with company procedures.
Date: Ongoing for the duration of this Notice - Conduct maintenance flushing in accordance with company policy.
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:
- Conduct an investigation to determine the risk of elevated iron within all DMAs in ZWC31 Vale of Evesham zone.
Date: 31 August 2026 - Confirm whether additional solutions are required to mitigate the risk of elevated iron within ZWC31 Vale of Evesham zone, based upon the findings of (b)1.
Date: 30 September 2026 - Confirm the most appropriate solution to mitigate the risk of elevated iron within DMA 06/578.
Date: 31 May 2026 - Deliver the chosen solution to mitigate the risk of elevated iron within DMA 06/578.
Date: 31 December 2026 - Complete outline design of the mains renewal solution to mitigate the risk of elevated iron within DMA 06/967.
Date: 30 September 2026 - Deliver the solution to mitigate the risk of elevated iron within DMA 06/967.
Date: 31 January 2027
(c) To audit whether the measures have been effective by the following means:
- Define an audit strategy to monitor the effectiveness of the measures specified in sections (a) and (b).
Date: 31 May 2026 - 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 Vale of Evesham Zone, or not to so supply unless the specified conditions below are satisfied:
- 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:
- Provide a progress report annually.
Date: by 31 January each year. - Provide a report on the findings of the investigation into iron risk in Vale of Evesham zone.
Date: 30 September 2026 - Provide a report confirming whether additional solutions are required to mitigate the risk of elevated iron within Vale of Evesham zone.
Date: 31 October 2026 - Provide a report confirming the chosen solution to mitigate the risk of elevated iron within DMA 06/578.
Date: 30 June 2026 - Provide a report confirming the delivery of the chosen solution to mitigate the risk of elevated iron within DMA 06/578.
Date: 31 January 2027 - Provide a report detailing the outline design of the mains renewal solution to mitigate the risk of elevated iron within DMA 06/967.
Date: 31 October 2026 - Provide a report confirming delivery of the solution to mitigate the risk of elevated iron within DMA 06/967.
Date: 28 February 2027 - Submit the audit strategy for auditing the effectiveness of the measures, as specified in measure (c)1.
Date: 30 June 2026 - Submit any revisions of the audit strategy produced under measure (c)2.
Date: Within 1 month of a revision - 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 - Submit a satisfactory completion report accompanied by a revised regulation 28(1) report with Board level Director sign-off.
Date: 29 February 2028
Further Details of this Notice:
- Any product or substance used as a result of the requirements in this Notice must comply with regulation 31.
- 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.
- 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
7 May 2026
Reference: SVT-2026-00004