The Public Water Supplies (Scotland) Regulations 2014

Wholesomeness: public water supplies S

4.—(1) Water supplied by Scottish Water for human consumption purposes is, subject to paragraphs (3) and (4), to be regarded as wholesome for the purposes of Part VIA of the 1980 Act (as it applies to water supplied for such purposes) only if the requirements in paragraph (2) are satisfied.

(2) The requirements are that the water—

(a) does not contain—

(i) any micro-organism;

(ii) any substance; or

(iii) any parasite,

at a concentration or value which would (whether in conjunction with another parameter in the water or otherwise) constitute a potential danger to human health;

(b) does not contain a parameter in Table A or Table B at a concentration or value in excess of or, as the case may be, less than the prescribed concentration or value for that parameter; and

(c) satisfies the formula “[nitrate]/50 + [nitrite]/3 ≤ 1”, where the square brackets signify the concentrations in mg/l for nitrate (NO₃) and nitrite (NO₂) respectively.

(3) The point (“point of compliance”) at which the requirements in paragraph (2), in so far as they relate to a parameter in Table A or Table B, are to be complied with is—

(a) in the case of water supplied from a tanker, the point at which the water emerges from the tanker;

(b) in the case of water supplied in bottles or containers, the point at which the water first emerges from any bottle or container collected from a local distribution point; and

(c) in any other case, the point or points specified for that parameter in Table A or Table B.

(4) Water that—

(a) is transferred from a service reservoir;

(b) is intended for supply by Scottish Water for human consumption purposes; and

(c) exceeds the prescribed concentration or value for coliform bacteria (item 3) in Table A,

is not to be regarded as unwholesome for the purposes of Part VIA of the 1980 Act if, in at least 95% of samples taken in any year in which the reservoir in question is in use, coliforms were absent.