Introduction
A private water supply is any water supply which is not provided by Thames Water or South East Water i.e. it is not a 'mains' supply. There are approximately 120 such supplies in Wokingham. Most of our private supplies are situated in the more remote, rural parts of the borough such as Remenham, Aston and Wargrave. The source of the supply may be a well, borehole, spring, stream, river, lake or pond.
The Private Water Supplies Regulations 2009 came into force on 1st January 2010 and apply to all private water supplies intended for human consumption. This means they apply to water for domestic purposes (e.g. drinking, cooking, food preparation and washing) and water used for food-production purposes.
Classification of Private Water Supplies
Private water supplies vary in size from those that provide water to one premises (a single dwelling or single commercial/public establishment) to those that provide water to several premises through a network of pipes. The Regulations refer to the following four supplies:
- Large supplies - any private water supply that provides an average daily volume of water of 10m3 or more (or supplies 50 persons or more) or supplies water to a premises where the water is used for a commercial activity or to a public premises
- Small Supplies - any private supply that provides less than 10m3/day (or supplies less than 50 persons) to two or more dwellings where the supply is only used for domestic purposes (there is no commercial or public activity).
- Other Supplies - Any private water supply that provides water to only one dwelling (referred to as a “single dwelling”)
- Private Distribution Systems - Where water is supplied by a water undertaker or licensed water supplier (i.e. mains water) and is then further distributed by a person other than a water undertaker or licensed water supplier to other buildings/properties on site.
Our responsibilities
The Regulations place a duty on the Council to:
1. Maintain a Public Register of all private water supplies in the borough. If you wish to view the register please contact us using the details provided at the bottom of the page;
2. Provide the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) (on behalf of the Secretary of State) with relevant information about each private water supply and its quality in the borough each year;
3. Monitor all private water supplies in the borough (except supplies to single dwellings) in accordance with prescribed frequencies and parameters; and
4. Carry out a risk assessment of each private water supply in the borough (except supplies to single dwellings) at least every 5 years.
The Regulations make provision for the Council to charge fees for carrying out certain duties under the Regulations. The fees are set out in Schedule 5 of the Regulations. This schedule allows the Council to charge a fee which is the reasonable cost of carrying out the service (activity) up to a specified maximum. The fees Wokingham Borough Council will be charging are set out in the document provided below.
Whilst the Council is not required to regularly monitor the quality of the water to single dwellings we strongly recommend, for the occupier’s safety, that you arrange for regular water sampling and analysis at least once every five years or after an event, such as flooding, that might affect the water quality.
Registering a new supply
To register a new private water supply, or register an existing supply we may not be aware of, please complete and return the questionnaire provided below.
Further information
If you would like further information on private water supplies, or would like to arrange a sampling visit please contact Environmental Health at environmental.health@wokingham.gov.uk or 01189 746000.
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