Private water supplies
A private water supply is any water supply that is not
provided by a water undertaker. It is water that is not from
a “mains” supply. They can be from a number of sources such
as a borehole, well, spring, river, stream, lake or pond.
Most private water supplies are located in rural areas.
However, there are a small number of private water supplies within
Peterborough City Council’s boundary. Private water supplies
may serve a single property or several properties through a network
of pipes and they may supply domestic properties or commercial
premises.
Any private water supply may present a risk to health if
the water is not properly protected and treated. The supply
may become contaminated with harmful micro-organisms, chemicals or
metals. Many are harmless but some may cause illness or even
fatalities in vulnerable people. Sometimes the effects of
consuming contaminated water do not present themselves straight
away but can cause delayed or longer term health problems. It
is often not possible to tell if a private water supply is
safe because contamination may not be detected by
the smell, taste, odour or appearance of the water.
Private water supply regulations 2009
These regulations came into force in January 2010 and replaced
the previous 1991 regulations. The Drinking Water
Inspectorate (DWI) are the advisory body for the implementation of
the regulations and produce guidance to help local authorities and
private water supply owners comply with the law.
The regulations classify private water supplies into three
categories:-
• Large Supplies - Where the supply is >10m3/day; or
supplies to a commercial activity or public premises
• Other Supplies - In any other case other than for a
single private dwelling
• Single Private Dwelling - Where a supply is for a single
private dwelling
The classification of a supply primarily depends upon the number
and type of premises served and the volume of water used. The
regulations require local authorities to risk assess and monitor
private water private distribution systems. A private
distribution system is found where water is supplied by a water
undertaker or licensed supplier and is then further distributed by
a third party.
When monitoring, Peterborough City Council needs to be satisfied
that the abstracted or distributed water meets the prescribed
criteria for wholesomeness.
If a sample indicates the supply is not wholesome or presents a
potential danger to human health Peterborough City Council must
carry out an investigation to determine the cause and has a range
of enforcement options available to ensure a safe and wholesome
supply is restored.
Fees
The regulations are designed to be cost neutral, i.e. to be
delivered at no cost to Peterborough City Council. For
this purpose the regulations state the maximum fees that can be
charged for the various aspects of private water supply work.
The documents below appear in Adobe® Acrobat® (PDF) format. In order to view it you will need to have Acrobat Reader installed. (Those with visual impairments may wish to investigate Access Adobe, which provides tools and information to help make PDF files more accessible). |  |
Charging arrangements
(42KB, 1 pages)
Private water supplies information leaflet
(395KB, 2 pages)
Contact details
Peterborough City Council
Business Regulation Team
Operations Directorate
Bayard Place
Broadway Peterborough
PE1 1HZ
Email: foodandsafety@peterborough.gov.uk
Telephone 01733 747474 between 9.00am and 5.00pm Monday to
Friday.