Private water supply investigated by law

[JoceAndChris]

A person from the council is coming on the 13th to inspect our private water supply. I think they'll test the drinking water - which is useful, though I know it's fine - but I'm also concerned they'll find a problem with the soakaway, which is not ever so far from the well - maybe 15 metres?

Should I write and say don't come? Will they insist on coming?

 

[Flyfisher]

Presumably they've sent you a letter regarding this, which should explain why they want to visit.

I found this link about private water supplies, but it seems to exclude "a supply to a single dwelling not used for any commercial activity", although it also states that In the case of a private supply to a single dwelling not used for a commercial activity a local authority may monitor the supply in accordance with this regulation, and must do so if requested to do so by the owner or occupier.

So perhaps your council is just being super-efficient (this is very new legislation) or perhaps it's something they do under some other legislation. I would certainly call them to ask for more information. It might also be worth asking if they will charge you for their visit and tests.

As for your soakaway, if there is an actual problem then surely it would be best to know about it?

 

[JoceAndChris]

Thanks for your typically kind and perceptive response, and the link is certainly very interesting. I think it is a case of the council being super-efficient. :shock: We did receive a letter, with the heading "Healthy Communities", and stating:

"From the 1st Jan 2010 all Private Water Supplies will be regulated by The Private Water Supplies Regulations 2009.

SKDC is responsible to the Secretary of State for keeping an accurate register of private supplies in its area and to achieve this we must carry out risk assessments of all such supplies.

In order to meet the requirements of the risk assessment it is necessary to visit each property accompanied by the owner or occupier, to make a site map showing the position of boreholes, springs or wells in relation to the property and the sites of septic tanks, fuel tanks and any other possible ground contamination risks...I confirm that you will not be charged for this visit.

Yours faithfully

Sampling Officer"

I appreciate your point that if there are problems it's best to know of them but we had that soakaway inspected when we had a new drain put in and it was pronounced sound and good. Whether it would meet current building regulations is another matter: I believe they should be a certain distance from the house.

 

[JoceAndChris]

Oh, gawd, I've just seen there's a form to fill in about possible chemical contamination, nearby animal waste and rodents. Wonder if I can keep the chickens quiet during the visit and persuade the rats to keep a low profile? :lol:

 

[ilona73]

Oh, gawd, I've just seen there's a form to fill in about possible chemical contamination, nearby animal waste and rodents. Wonder if I can keep the chickens quiet during the visit and persuade the rats to keep a low profile? :lol:

ack dunne worry too much about it... its just our politically correct society and health and safety bozos in action hehehe
Just take a chill pill... make em a brew when they arrive kill em with kindness and all will be reet!
If all else fails push em down the well and cap it quick and jobs a good un!!
hehe xx

 

[JoceAndChris]

:lol: :lol: :lol: Great advice! A nice brew of well water - oh god I hope he doesn't need the bathroom- he'll spot the yellow water with leaves in! :lol:

 

[Flyfisher]

we had that soakaway inspected when we had a new drain put in and it was pronounced sound and good. Whether it would meet current building regulations is another matter: I believe they should be a certain distance from the house.

I'd be very surprised if you have a problem with current building regs because I don't believe new regs are ever applied retrospectively - just think of the chaos that would cause! - and it sounds like what you have is in a good state of repair, so no need to lose any sleep.

 

[ilona73]

:lol: :lol: :lol: Great advice! A nice brew of well water - oh god I hope he doesn't need the bathroom- he'll spot the yellow water with leaves in! :lol:

hey just make sure u have a strong coffee and they wont notice... the yellow water with leaves in .. shuv a coloured loo block in and voila!!
hehehe

 

[jocelyn plummer]

Keep cool, offer no comments, listen to what they say! It will be fine!

The upside is that should there be any unforeseen/hidden flaw that might cause your water supply to interfere with that of another property, then they will be able to raise your awareness, We all know that accountability is the bane of our lives, and all they are doing is protecting their own interests, not ours, but hey ho, that's the way the cookie crumbles.
Keep us posted!

 

[FamilyWiggs]

"From the 1st Jan 2010 all Private Water Supplies will be regulated by The Private Water Supplies Regulations 2009."

I know we now live in a regulation-mad over-bearing Nanny-state. But just what on earth has it got to do with your local council if you are fortunate enough to have a private water supply? When did we ask (or permit) them to "regulate" this for us? What will all this extra red tape cost us?

By all means, as a council tax-payer, they can offer you the opportunity (if you wish) to invite them to visit and sample your water and provide any advice you may wish to seek - but just what gives them the right to visit and inspect every property with a private water supply? I presume it's all down to "health and safety" and the relentless march to remove any vestige of the need to take responsibility for ourselves and to understand and assume risks.

After all, I doubt anyone with a private supply is unaware of the facts!

That sound you can hear is my goat being got - up with this we should not put, etc, etc.

 

[Flyfisher]

My amateur reading of this new statute is that, firstly, it's a response (legally required, presumably) to an EU directive and, secondly, that it's only mandatory for private water supplies being used for commercial purposes, e.g. a private supply being sold on. Thus, it's primarily intended to protect public health.

It seems to specifically exclude "a supply to a single dwelling not used for any commercial activity", although it says that it MAY be used for such purposes. It's not clear, to me at least, if 'MAY' means that it can be forced upon private users,although I suspect not, which is why Joce's council are not charging for the visit and tests, even though a scale of fees is specifically included in the statute.

It did cross my mind that it might be more understandable for the council to begin implementation of this new statute by first concentrating on those private water supplies explicitly covered by the new rules, i.e. commercial supplies rather than wholly private supplies. Then I realised that widening the scope is a good way to help secure council jobs by maximising the amount of work required at a time when budgets are bound to be under intense scrutiny, while blaming the EU for the cost increases.

But that's surely just a nasty bout of cynicism that has no place in the run-up to New year optimism and hope for better things.

 

[FamilyWiggs]

it's a response (legally required, presumably) to an EU directive

I should have guessed. :roll: :roll: :roll:

I can understand the need to protect public health from unscrupulous commercial interests - but the extension to single private dwellings is an uninvited extension. Joce - have you thought of referring them to the detailed regulations and asking why they wish to visit?

 

[Penners]

As for your soakaway, if there is an actual problem then surely it would be best to know about it?

While I tend to react in a typically grumpy fashion to any official intrusion into my business, I do very much agree with what FF says above. If this inspection is inevitable, then there's not much point in worrying about it - and if it did turn out to reveal a health risk in your soakaway/well setup, then it's best that you know about it.

 

[middi]

I thought it would be a case of " if I want to drink my own piss it is none of your business"

 

[robgil]

'more tea vicar'?
'mmmm , don't mind if i do , your tea always has a certain familiar lemony zestiness to it that i just cant seem to put my finger on'

 

[Feltwell]

What's the objection to them coming and testing? What is more of an issue is what enforcement rights they have if they find a problem.

If you've got faecal contamination problems in your water then personally I'd rather know about them! At the very least you can then ensure that visitors only drink boiled or bottled water until time & money permit a resolution.

Of course they may well not find a problem, but at least you'll know one way or the other. Have you got any further with borehole costings?

 

[Feltwell]

we had that soakaway inspected when we had a new drain put in and it was pronounced sound and good. Whether it would meet current building regulations is another matter: I believe they should be a certain distance from the house.

5m I believe -that's what I had to comply with for the garage, but of course that's only for rainwater. Sounds like it's the proximity to the well that is more the cause for concern though.

 

[JoceAndChris]

Cor- thanks for the response! You're all great!

My only concern about them coming snooping round was that they might notice things that are not quite conventional and start nit-picking and fussing and insisting this or that be needlessly changed. Flyfisher kindly remarks that new regulations cannot be applied retrospectively, which makes sense, so I've stopped worrying that they'll make us change the position of the soakaway.

I kind of share Wiggs' grumpy position of not liking this nannying, and I also think SKDC are being a bit thick and not understanding the law - because the law says that it's not compulsory for us to be investigated, but their letter implies it is. I find this sort of puffed up officialdom a bit hard to swallow. I don't believe they're acting out of any kind of concern for us; I'm always cynical about motives too.

The water was tested 2 years ago, we've got the results (it was a test insisted on by another hopeful purchaser - but he got scared about the house in general so pulled out of the sale). The water is brilliant, you could bottle it. The only nasty present was lead, but just a tiny amount - well within the safe zone for what's recommended - and I know they're reducing what they consider to be safe quantities of lead, and it's well within the figures for that too. We always put our drinking water through a Brita filter jug anyway;it's delicious.

The washing water is a different story - clean your teeth with the wrong tap in the bathroom and you could find yourself cuddling the loo all night. But I don't think they're interested in that.

The land slopes down from the cottage, with the old soakaway at the boundary away from the front of the house, so all our waste flows down into the field below. 8) The well is in the scullery, so I'm not worried about cross contamination at all.

We did a lot of research into boreholes, the minimum cost would be 5 k, and it could be more. We don't have that spare at the moment (but might in the future). The longer I live here though, the fonder I get of my well. We'd like to spend some money on filtering the rainwater, people don't seem that keen on yellow baths with bits of wasp in - no sense of adventure! Children never get bathed when guests bring them! :lol: I just think people need to toughen up, a bit of bacteria is highly healthy for the immune system!

 

[FamilyWiggs]

Grumpy? Moi? You've got the wrong feller, guv'nor!

Now Joce, if you're going to reach the landmark of 2000 posts by your first anniversary on the forum (18th Jan), you're going to need to up your average to around 10 per day for the next couple of weeks... come on gal, you can do it!

 

[JoceAndChris]

Bahahahahahaha!!!!! Don't even tempt me! Every day I look at my email expecting to find one from kindly Messrs Rob or Simon saying "Now then joceand chris, you post far too much about nothing you know" - but they are remarkably restrained and so far it hasn't happened, thank God! And thanks to everyone else for putting up with me too!

We've just got "The Old House Handbook" and the Chris half of myself has started saying things like "you won't need to spend so much time on that ******* forum now you've got this" - think he's missing the point! :lol: