DWQR Annual Report 2007
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Drinking Water Quality in Scotland 2007 Annual Report by the Drinking Water Quality Regulator I am concerned about the quality of my drinking water in my home or Drinking Water place of work. What can I do? Quality in Scotland 2007 Annual Report by the Drinking Water Quality Regulator In the first instance you should contact Scottish Water and ask them to investigate. Scottish Water PO Box 8855 Edinburgh EH10 6YQ Tel 0845 601 8855 If, having discussed the matter with Scottish Water, you do not feel that the issue has been satisfactorily resolved, you should contact the Drinking Water Quality Regulator for Scotland. The DWQR can investigate on your behalf and take action if necessary. DWQR will inform you of the outcome of any investigation. The DWQR may be contacted either by writing to: Drinking Water Quality Regulator for Scotland PO Box 23598 EDINBURGH © Crown copyright 2008 EH6 6WW This document is also available on www.dwqr.org.uk Or emailing [email protected] RR Donnelley B56313 07/08 Or telephoning 0131 244 0224 Further copies are available from When contacting DWQR, please provide as much information as possible, including the Blackwell's Bookshop address of the property where the problem has occurred, the nature and duration of your 53 South Bridge concerns and details of any contact you have had with Scottish Water regarding the problem. Edinburgh Please note that the DWQR can only investigate concerns relating to the quality of public EH1 1YS drinking water supplies in Scotland. For matters concerning private supplies in Scotland you should contact the Environmental Health Department of your local council. Telephone orders and enquiries 0131 622 8283 or 0131 622 8258 For matters concerning services provided by Scottish Water other than the quality of the water supplied you should contact Waterwatch Scotland: [email protected] Fax orders 0131 557 8149 For matters concerning the quality of public supplies elsewhere in the UK you should contact the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) for England or Wales or the Northern Ireland Drinking Email orders Water Inspectorate. The DWQR works closely with both of these organisations to ensure a [email protected] consistent approach is taken towards ensuring the quality of drinking water across the UK. A Memorandum of Understanding between the three bodies can be found on the DWQR website: www.dwqr.org.uk www.dwqr.org.uk Drinking Water Quality in Scotland 2007 Annual Report by the Drinking Water Quality Regulator Drinking Water Quality in Scotland 2007 © Crown copyright 2008 The maps presented in this publication are based on Ordnance Survey material with the permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office © Crown copyright 2008. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. Scottish Government Licence number: 100020540, 2008. Published on behalf of the Drinking Water Quality Regulator for Scotland, August, 2008 ISBN: 978 0 7559 5785 9 Produced for the Drinking Water Quality Regulator by RR Donnelley B56313 08/08 Further copies are available from Blackwell's Bookshop 53 South Bridge Edinburgh EH1 1YS The text pages of this document are printed on 100% recyclable paper Drinking Water Quality in Scotland 2007 Contents 1. Foreword 1 2. Executive Summary 4 3. Drinking Water Quality Across Scotland 7 3A Public Water Supplies in Scotland 8 3.1 Quality of Drinking Water Sources 11 3.2 Drinking Water Quality at Treatment Works 13 3.3 Drinking Water Quality in Distribution Systems 17 3.4 Drinking Water Quality at Consumer Taps 22 3.5 Summary of Drinking Water Quality Events and Incidents 28 3.6 Summary of Contacts About Drinking Water Quality 32 3B Private Water Supplies in Scotland 37 4. Drinking Water Quality by Region 41 4.1 South West 44 Water Quality in Local Authorities in the South West 51 4.2 North West 64 Water Quality in Local Authorities in the North West 83 4.3 North East 87 Water Quality in Local Authorities in the North East 94 4.4 South East 100 Water Quality in Local Authorities in the South East 106 4.5 Islands 113 Water Quality in Local Authorities in the Islands 119 Annexes 122 A The Regulatory Framework 123 B Index of Information Letters and Guidance Letters 126 C Authorised Departures 127 D Audits of Scottish Water 129 E Statistical Methods Used in the Report 132 Drinking Water Quality in Scotland 2007 Drinking Water Quality in Scotland 2007 Foreword 1. Foreword I am pleased to report that in 2007, the treatment works failed to adequately overall level of compliance of Scottish treat raw water that was deteriorating in drinking water with the regulatory quality due to heavy rainfall. standards was higher than ever. Communities such as Ullapool, Consumers can therefore be confident Langholm, Tomintoul and North that public drinking water supplies in Ronaldsay all faced the inconvenience of Scotland are of the highest quality and prolonged, and in some cases repeated, Scottish Water can justifiably be proud boil water notices following the of what it has achieved since it was detection of Cryptosporidium in the formed six years ago. supply. I firmly believe that such situations are unacceptable in 21st However, there is no room for century Scotland. This view is shared complacency. Against this encouraging by Consultants in Public Health Medicine background, work is still required to and local authority Environmental further improve compliance with the Health Officers who have expressed trihalomethane and microbiological their concerns to me. The Summer of standards. Compliance with the 2007 was exceptionally wet but high manganese standard also requires rainfall events are not unusual in further work. Manganese causes Scotland, and treatment facilities must discoloured water, which can give rise be sufficiently robust to deal with to “dirty” water complaints from changes in raw water quality. consumers. This is an area that I highlighted in last years annual report, Plans are being developed to improve and while it is encouraging that there treatment at the above sites, and in were fewer customer contacts about most cases temporary treatment has dirty water in 2007, it is disappointing been put in place until a long term that compliance with the manganese solution can be delivered. I am standard itself did not improve. continually frustrated however by the time taken to deliver such much needed Scottish Water continues to invest improvements and look to Scottish considerable resources in improving Water to find a way within the drinking water quality, and that investment process to progress these investment appears to be delivering projects with the urgency they demand. benefits. However, improvements to drinking water assets need to be Scottish Water has a large volume of sustained, so looking forward, it is water quality data at its fingertips, important that Scottish Water ensures together with the expertise to appropriate resources are directed understand and interpret it. I would like towards maintaining its assets, to to see Scottish Water taking more ensure that they are able to perform responsibility for identifying and effectively for many years to come. managing risk in its supply systems so that timely corrective action can be The low point of 2007 occurred in taken to ensure that good safe drinking August when a number of Scottish water is consistently supplied to 1 Drinking Water Quality in Scotland 2007 Foreword consumers. This is fundamental to the I am pleased that the number of Drinking Water Safety Plan approach to consumer contacts relating to concerns safeguarding water systems promoted about drinking water quality reduced in by the World Health Organisation and I 2007. I hope that this is a genuine am encouraged that Scottish Water has trend that will continue in 2008. I am embarked on production of these plans aware however, of a number of local with enthusiasm and dedication. issues where communities have very genuine concerns over the appearance For a number of years I have been and/or taste of their drinking water. expressing concern over a lack of Improvements in regulatory compliance robustness in the on-site water quality count for nothing if consumers find the instrumentation and telemetry systems aesthetic characteristics of their water that alert Scottish Water to problems at unacceptable and refuse to drink it. water treatment works. I was therefore keeping a close eye on this during 2007 Consumer acceptance and trust in and am pleased to report that Scottish drinking water supplies is achieved Water is well advanced with a where Scottish Water consistently programme of testing and upgrading its delivers a high quality product. Lack of monitoring systems. I am increasingly acceptance and trust often relates to satisfied that Scottish Water is the level of chlorine in the supply. responding appropriately to water Chlorine in various forms is used quality alarms, which means that throughout the world as it is one of the potentially difficult situations are being most effective means of disinfecting resolved before public health is put at water supplies and providing lasting risk. While the number of occasions protection throughout the distribution that the system did not work in 2007 system. Scottish Water must ensure was still unacceptably high, I am that when it is disinfecting its supplies confident that steps are finally being that this is carried out in a way that is taken in the right direction. acceptable to consumers, while at the same time safeguarding public health. In my role as Regulator, it is important that I monitor all aspects of Scottish Finally, in addition to regulating public Water’s activities that could affect supplies, I have a role overseeing the drinking water quality.