Private Water Supply Risk Assessment

FWT can help you in complying with the risk assessment carried out by either yourself or The Local Authority. We can supply a management control system which is supplied in a skeleton format for you to complete and maintain with the records of your supply; this is designed to assist you in complying with the regulations.

If the house you and your family live in is the only property supplied by a water source, and only your family drink the water, a risk assessment is not normally required although you still have a duty of care to anyone using the water. If the supply is being used by a company/ business or is a shared supply then a risk assessment will be required by the local authority.

 

A risk assessment involves looking at the source of the supply and the surrounding area to identify possible risks such as places where contamination could enter the supply or levels that exceed the limits set for potable water quality. It also involves checking the raw water quality, spring catchment or borehole chamber, any storage tanks, treatment systems and the pipe work.

While sampling can give you an overview of the water quality at any one point in time risk assessments set out to identify the actual or potential causes so that suitable actions can be taken to resolve them. This is aimed to minimise the risks by preventing the situation from getting worse or even starting in the first place.

What happens next?

Improvements might be required at the source itself, or to the pipes or fittings inside or outside your home. For example:

• Repairing the system to prevent dirty water, animals or their droppings entering the water e.g. by sealing the roof slabs on collection chambers, fencing around the source and digging a drainage ditch to stop surface water or water just below the surface entering the supply.
• Making lids and chambers sealed and tamperproof
• Installing and maintaining an appropriate water treatment system to ensure satisfactory microbiological and chemical quality and where required, water filters (to remove iron, nitrates, manganese etc) to bring the supply in line with the potable water standard.

How do I start?

Make sure you know where your water comes from and how it reaches your tap. Knowing this can help you understand what could cause a problem.

• Clarify who is responsible for maintenance of the supply. Contact the owners of the land where the source is, and discuss your supply with them, and where the source, tank(s) and pipework are.

• Clarify who is responsible for the whole supply system including water treatment equipment and that it is maintained according to manufacturer’s instructions. A service record/ log will need to be kept to prove this.As previously mentioned FWT can provide you with a skeleton control document for you to complete and update, allowing you to record the results of all water sampling and details of any work undertaken on the supply.

Related images in this section Click for a larger image and description