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Southern Water Services Limited – Brede Chlorate

Notice under regulation 28(4) of the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2016 (as amended)

Reference: SRN-2025-00014

Version Number: 1

Water undertaker as appointed under section 6 of the Water Industry Act 1991 (as amended): Southern Water Services Limited, with registered number 02366670 (hereinafter called ‘the company’).

Assets Affected:

  • TS010 – Brede works
  • Y003 Hastings Supply System
  • YS010 Brede Supply System

Details of this Notice:

  1. 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 20 October 2025, which states that there is or has been a significant risk of supplying water from Brede works (and associated assets as applicable) that could constitute a potential danger to human health or could be unwholesome.
  2. 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


By-product formation during water disinfection.


Chlorate


31310

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.

  1. 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:

  1. Maintain and operate existing works treatment in accordance with Company standards.
    Date: Ongoing for the duration of this Notice.
  2. Liaise with Public Health England and local authorities in the event of any breach of a health-based standard.
    Date: Ongoing for the duration of this Notice.
  3. Operation of the disinfection system at Brede works in accordance with company processes and procedures, and in line with the manufacturer’s instructions.
    Date: Ongoing for the duration of this Notice.
  4. Regular monitoring for disinfection by-product formation in the final disinfected water leaving Brede works, to ensure that the World Health Organisation (WHO) Guideline Values (GV) are not exceeded, and that the supply always remains wholesome.
    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:

  1. Not Applicable.

(c) To audit whether the measures have been effective by the following means:

  1. Define an audit strategy to monitor the effectiveness of the measures specified in sections (a) and (b).
    Date: 31 January 2026.
  2. 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 Brede works and associated supply systems, or not to so supply unless the specified conditions below are satisfied:

  1. The chlorate level in the final water must not exceed >700 µg/L (WHO GV).
    Date: Ongoing for the duration of this notice.

(e) To provide the following information in the time and manner specified below to enable monitoring of progress towards the mitigation of the risks:

  1. Provide a progress report annually.
    Date: by 31 January each year.
  2. Submit the audit strategy for auditing the effectiveness of the measures, as specified in measure (c)1.
    Date: 28 February 2026.
  3. Submit any revisions of the audit strategy produced under measure (c)2.
    Date: Within 1 month of a revision
  4. 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
  5. Submit a satisfactory completion report accompanied by a revised regulation 28(1) report with Board level Director sign-off.
    Date: 30 November 2033.

Further Details of this Notice:

  1. Any product or substance used as a result of the requirements in this Notice must comply with regulation 31.
  2. 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.
  3. 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).
  4. Contravention of regulation 28(4)(d) is an offence under regulation 33(1). If guilty of such an offence, the company is liable on summary conviction, or on conviction on indictment, to a fine. Under regulation 33(2) it is a defence for the company to show that it took all reasonable steps and exercised all due diligence to avoid the commission of the offence.

Signed

Nicholas Adjei
Deputy Chief Inspector, on behalf of the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
28 November 2025
Reference: SRN-2025-00014


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