A private supply is any supply of water used for drinking, domestic purposes or food production that is not provided by South West Water. There are approximately 600 private water supplies in the South Hams, the principal sources being springs, wells and boreholes. Streams and rivers are also used but to a lesser extent because of the more variable quality of surface water compared to groundwaters.
The Private Water Supplies Regulations 2009 came into force on the 1st January 2012 and brought in a range of duties for local authorities. This includes risk assessing, monitoring and, where necessary, bringing up to standard, private water supplies. Supplies have been divided into three categories: Single Dwelling, Small (wholly domestic but supplies less than 10m3 per day) and Large (supplying commercial properties, mixture of commercial and domestic or wholly domestic serving more than 10m3 per day).
Risk Assessment
The risk assessment is required for all small and large supplies. It involves officers of the council visiting the person who is in control of the supply and walking the length of the water system from the source to the outlets and assessing the risks to the supply from a number of different potential hazards. Once the visit has been undertaken a report will be written and sent out to the person in control of the supply with suggestions on how it can be improved to minimise the risk of contamination. Supplies to a single dwelling will only be assessed at the request of the owner.
Sampling
Your supply may have been sampled for many years and this is unlikely to be changed. However, as part of the risk assessment process the frequency of sampling will need to be determined in accordance with the table below.
| Use Class/ volume of water used / day | Sampling frequency |
| Less than 10m3 and wholly domestic use (Small Supply) | 1 sample every 5 years |
| <10m3 mixed use (Large Supply) | 1 sample per year |
| 10 – 100m3 | 2 samples per year |
| 101 – 1000 m3 | 4 samples per year |
| 1001 – 2000 m3 | 10 samples per year |
| 2001 – 3000 m3 | 13 samples per year |
| 3001 – 4000 m3 | 16 samples per year |
| 4001 – 5000 m3 | 19 samples per year |
| 5001 – 6000 m3 | 22 samples per year |
| 6001 – 7000 m3 | 25 samples per year |
| 7001 – 8000 m3 | 28 samples per year |
| 8001 – 9000 m3 | 31 samples per year |
| 9001 – 10,000 m3 | 34 samples per year |
| > 10,000 m3 | 4 + 3 for each m3/ day of the total volume (rounding up to the nearest 1000m3/ day) |
Getting your water tested
If you would like to arrange for your private water supply to be tested, please contact 01803 861234. Charges for water sampling vary depending on the analysis required. Further details on analysis charges are available on request.
The new charges for the private water supply regulations are laid out in the document below:
[Adobe Acrobat Document -- will open in new browser window] Private Water Supplies Fees
Bacterial Contamination
The most common and widespread health risk associated with private water supplies is bacteriological contamination, either directly or indirectly, from human or animal waste. Therefore it is important that any water source is adequately protected. Further advice on bacteriological water quality and protecting water sources can be found in our Advice Sheets
If the water source has become contaminated and steps to improve the quality are unsuccessful, it may be necessary to treat the water to remove the bacteriological contamination. For information on how to deal with contamination see the following Advice Sheet.
Nitrate Levels
Rural water supplies are not generally affected by the chemical waste products of industry; a more likely source of contamination may be the agricultural use of chemicals, particularly fertilisers and pesticides. There are a number of supplies within the District that have nitrate levels either just below, or slightly above the current standard, no doubt as a result of local agricultural activities. Further advice regarding Nitrates in private water supplies can be found in our Advice Sheet.
- [Adobe Acrobat Document -- will open in new browser window]Nitrate.
Metals, Uranium and Radon
The geology of the local area can also affect the quality of the water supply. Commonly occurring metals in this District are copper, aluminium, iron and manganese. Whilst lead can be present to some extent as a result of its leaching from natural sources, levels detected often originate from domestic pipes and fittings. Some private water supplies in the District may also be affected by Radon and Uranium.
- [Adobe Acrobat Document -- will open in new browser window]Metals
- [Adobe Acrobat Document -- will open in new browser window]Radon and Uranium
Further Information
Drinking Water Inspectorate
World Health Organisation
Useful Links:
- Water Pollution Guide - Where you can find useful information about the sources of water pollution and how they can be treated.
