In general terms a private water supply is any water supply which is not provided by a water company.  The source of the supply may be a well, borehole, spring, stream, river, lake or pond. The supply may serve just one property or several properties through a network of pipes.

 

Under the Private Water Supply Regulations 1991, there is a duty on Local Authorities to ensure that the quality of water from private supplies serving domestic or commercial premises is 'wholesome', by meeting certain quality standards.

 

Safe drinking water is essential to good health. All private water supplies can pose a threat to health unless they are properly protected and treated. They may become contaminated with bacteria, protozoa, parasites and viruses (micro-organisms) or other substances. Many of these are harmless, but some may cause serious illness or even death in vulnerable people. You may not be able to tell whether your water is safe as contamination may not show by smell, taste or colour of the water. Unlike public supplies, many private supplies are not treated to remove contamination.

 

 

Peterborough City Council monitors the quality of all private water supplies in its district.  To ensure the wholesome quality of the water, samples of water are taken and analysed in accordance with the regulations. The results from the sampling are measured against a set of acceptable microbiological and chemical parameters.

 

 

If a sample proves to be unsatisfactory by exceeding any of the measured parameters then steps must be taken to rectify the problem. If the problem is not remedied satisfactorily then the Local Authority may implement the necessary remedial measures, recovering the costs from the property owner or proprietor.

 

For further information, please contact the Pollution Control team