The Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2017

Authorisation of supply points N.I.

10.—(1) For those parameters specified as items 7 to 19, and 21 to 30 in column 1 of Table 3 in Schedule 3 samples may be taken by a water undertaker from—

(a) any blending point;

(b) the water leaving any service reservoir which receives water from a treatment works before its supply to any consumer; and

(c) the water leaving any treatment works.

(2) If the Department is satisfied that analysis of those samples taken under paragraph (1) will produce data which are unlikely to differ in material respect from the data that would be produced from analysis of samples obtained from sampling points, the Department may authorise the use for the purposes of regulation 8 of samples in relation to those parameters taken from a water supply zone from a blending point, a service reservoir of the description in paragraph (1) or a treatment works.

(3) Subject to paragraph (5), the Department may, in relation to any parameter not covered by the authorisation in paragraph (2), on the written application of a water undertaker, authorise the use for the purposes of regulation 8 of samples taken from a water supply zone otherwise than from a sampling point.

(4) An authorisation under paragraph (3) may extend to all samples in relation to that parameter or to such number or proportion of those samples as is specified in the authorisation.

(5) The Department must not grant an authorisation under paragraph (3) unless it is satisfied that analysis of samples taken from a point other than a sampling point will produce data in respect of the parameter in question which are unlikely to differ in any material respect from the data that would be produced in respect of that parameter from analysis of samples obtained from sampling points.

(6) Subject to paragraph (7), the Department may at any time modify or revoke an authorisation under paragraph (3).

(7) Unless it appears to the Department that the immediate modification or revocation of an authorisation under paragraph (3) is required in the interests of public health, it must not modify or revoke such an authorisation without giving the water undertaker at least six weeks' notice of the Department's intention to modify or revoke.

(8) A water undertaker must notify the Department as soon as it has reasonable grounds for believing that an analysis of samples taken from a water supply zone from a point other than a sampling point would produce data in respect of the parameter in question which would differ in a material respect from the data produced by an analysis of samples taken from any of the sampling points within that zone.

(9) On being notified under paragraph (8) and without the need for prior notice to the water undertaker, the Department must revoke the authorisation.