The Private and Public Water Supplies (Miscellaneous Amendments) (Scotland) Regulations 2015

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Private Water Supplies (Scotland) Regulations 2006 and the Public Water Supplies (Scotland) Regulations 2014 with the aim of further protecting human health from the adverse effects of any contamination of water supplied for human consumption purposes.

M1 M2 In particular, these Regulations implement Council Directive 2013/51/Euratom laying down requirements for the protection of the health of the general public with regard to radioactive substances in water intended for human consumption . They also make some adjustments to the Private Water Supplies (Scotland) Regulations 2006 in connection with the implementation of Council Directive 98/83/EC on the quality of water intended for human consumption .

Part 1 makes provision for citation, commencement, extent and interpretation.

Part 2 amends the Private Water Supplies (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (“the 2006 Regulations”).

Part 3 amends the Public Water Supplies (Scotland) Regulations 2014 (“the 2014 Regulations”).

The powers in section 2(2) of the European Communities Act 1972 (“the 1972 Act”) are exercised so far as may be necessary (to supplement the other powers cited) for the purposes of implementing, or enabling the implementation of, obligations arising under or by virtue of Council Directive 98/83/EC and Council Directive 2013/51, and for the purposes of dealing with matters arising out of or related to such obligations. In particular, these powers enable—

• provision to be made in regulation 4 in relation to the application and introduction of substances and products (pursuant to Article 10 of Council Directive 98/83/EC); and

• other provision to be made in these Regulations (including provision which inserts radon as an indicator parameter) to the extent that these other provisions also have the effect of indirectly extending the scope of regulation 18 (investigations: Schedule 1 indicator parameters) of the 2006 Regulations and that of regulations 17 to 23 (investigation and remedial action) of the 2014 Regulations so as to enable appropriate remedial action to be taken in relation to radon (pursuant to Article 7 of Council Directive 2013/51).

A business and regulatory impact assessment has been prepared for these Regulations. A copy of this may be obtained from the Scottish Government, Victoria Quay, Leith, Edinburgh, EH6 6QQ.