The Water Supply Regulations 2010

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations implement aspects of Council Directive 98/83/EC (on the quality of water intended for human consumption, OJ No L 330, 5.12.1998, p 32) by amending the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2000 (SI 2000/3184) (“the 2000 Regulations”) and the Private Water Supplies Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/3101) (“the 2009 Regulations”). The remainder of that Directive has already been implemented by those two instruments.

The 2000 Regulations are amended as follows. The service of a notice on the relevant supplier where there is a failure to meet the specification applicable to an indicator parameter and that failure poses a potential danger to human health under regulation 19(4) has been made mandatory.

Regulation 19A (Failure attributable to domestic distribution system where water is supplied to the public) is inserted and requires the Secretary of State to require the water undertaker (1) to take remedial action and (2) to provide information or assistance to the local authority where necessary. Remedial action must be notified to consumers (regulation 19A(6)).

Regulation 20 (Authorisation of temporary supply of water that is not wholesome) is amended to remove the power to authorise a departure in respect of the parameters specified in Part II of Table A in Schedule 1 (Coliform bacteria and E. coli). Consequential amendments are made to regulation 19.

In both the 2000 Regulations and the 2009 Regulations provision is made for ensuring that disinfection by-products are kept as low as possible without compromising disinfection and that the effectiveness of the disinfection process is verified.

Table 2 (Annual Sampling Frequencies: Water Supply Zones) and Table 3 (Annual Sampling Frequencies: Treatment Works or Supply Points) in Schedule 3 to the 2000 Regulations have been replaced with Tables with an altered layout and an additional note.

A full impact assessment has not been prepared for these Regulations as no impact on the private or voluntary sectors is foreseen.