A private water supply is a supply of water, which does not come from a water undertaker or licensed water supplier, such as Southern Water or Veolia. Private supplies may come from a variety of sources, including wells, springs, boreholes and streams.
The supplies are covered by The Private Water Supplies (England) Regulations 2016. The regulations aim to ensure water from private supplies is wholesome, so people who drink water or consume food or drinks made from private supplies may do so without risk to their health. They also cover private distribution systems where water may be supplied to one property and then distributed on to other properties.
Private Distribution Systems
A private distribution system occurs when mains water is supplied to a site or property which is then distributed to other buildings not owned by that organisation or person. Typical examples include: caravan and camp sites, small industrial parks, airports and ports where there is a single owner of the whole site and individual businesses pay the owner for their water. It may also include schools, hospitals and prisons.
The residents would then pay the landlord directly for the water instead of the water company, for example Southern Water.
When this happens, the landlord will take on responsibility of ensuring that the water remains wholesome and safe and assume some of the roles of a water supplier.
Risk Assessment
The regulations aim to ensure water from private supplies is wholesome, so people who drink water or consume food or drinks made from private supplies may do so without risk to their health. For all supplies other than a single domestic supply, we are required to carry out a risk assessment on the supply once every five years. This risk assessment looks at the source of the supply and the surrounding area to see if contamination is possible. It also involves checks of storage tanks, treatment systems and the pipes to ensure that any action necessary is taken to ensure the water supply is safe to drink.
Sampling
We are also required to carry out sampling at these supplies but the frequency of sampling and the parameters tested are dependent on the outcome of the risk assessment and the size of the supply.
There is no requirement to sample at single domestic supplies. However, this can be done at the request of the owner or occupier. There is a charge for this service and the fees are set out in the regulations as detailed in the table below. Charges are dependent on the parameters tested and the officer’s time. We only charge for costs incurred and no profit is made. The table below gives detail of the maximum charges permitted.
Charges
| Activity | Maximum fee |
| Risk Assessment | £500 |
| Sampling visit | £100 |
| Analysis of an audit sample | £500 |
| Analysis of a check sample | £100 |
| Investigation of failures (each investigation) | £100 |
| Granting an authorisation | £100 |
Mains Water Supplies
Thanet Council is unaware of any properties in our district that do not get their water from Southern Water. However, there may be supplies we are unaware of. If your supply meets the description above and we have not contacted you please ring us to discuss. If you are concerned about your supply, please contact them or Ofwat (the Water Services Regulation Authority).
- Contact us | Southern Water
- Contact us | Ofwat
- Contact Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) for advice on mains water supplies
Where can I get further advice?
Further information and guidance, including on sampling parameters and fees, is available on the Drinking Water Inspectorate’s Drinking Water Inspectorate’s website.
If you think you are on a private water supply, a private distribution system or have any other queries, please contact the Environmental Protection Team on 01843 577000 or via e-mail at Environmental.Health@thanet.gov.uk.