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Drinking Water Quality is of concern to us all. To find out more about Water Quality Standards, the monitoring we do and the major issues affecting water quality, click the Headings on the left. Our latest Annual Water Quality Report can be viewed by clicking here.
THE FACTS ABOUT DRINKING WATER QUALITY
The company has its own fully equipped laboratory and regularly monitors all its water for both microbiological and chemical quality. Microbiological samples are taken on a daily basis from our largest treatment works and at regular intervals from our other treatment works, reservoirs and from customers' taps. Chemical samples are also taken regularly from all our treatment works, reservoirs and customers' taps and in all we conduct about 142,000 tests from around 13,000 samples which we take each year.
The 1989 Water Quality Regulations have now been superseded by the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2000 which were made in response to the introduction of the new European Drinking Water Directive (98/83/EC). These set down statutory standards for drinking water quality and represent legal requirements for water undertakers in the UK. The new regulations are to be implemented in two phases - the first being between January 2001 and December 2003 ('interim arrangements'), and the second phase from January 2004 onwards. The interim arrangements incorporate the 1989 regulations together with six new parameters (Nitrite, Enterococci, Bromate, 1,2-dichloroethane, Benzene and Clostridium Perfringens). Maximum Admissible Concentrations are set down (these are also referred to as Prescribed Concentrations or Values) for the majority of these parameters. A small number have guidance levels which are not health related. From January 2004 there will be a complete revision of sampling requirements and some parameters will no longer need to be monitored. More frequent sampling for certain parameters will take place at treatment works and in supply.
Lead Water at its source and in mains is virtually lead free. However many properties still have lead plumbing and lead service pipes supplying the water into the house. When water lies in these lead pipes for some time, some of the lead can be taken into solution. Our water is hard and generally the concentration of lead found in samples from kitchen taps are within permitted levels. In some parts of the Company's area, water is dosed at the treatment works with small quantities of orthophosphoric acid to reduce the tendency for lead to be dissolved. Standards for lead are due to change in the future and the Company has a long-term programme for extending this dosing to most of its area to reduce lead levels to below the new standards. If you are concerned about the levels of lead in your water supply, please contact our Water Quality Department (contact details can be found by clicking here) for further advice. Nitrates Intensive agricultural production in recent years has led to the increase of nitrates appearing in underground water supplies. Certain parts of the UK have been more affected than others. In part of the Portsmouth Water area we have had to install blending arrangements to ensure that all our supplies are within the limits laid down by the Water Quality Regulations. Pesticides The present regulations set a very strict limit for pesticides in drinking water - they must not be present in a greater concentration than one part in ten thousand million. This very low concentration ignores the very different toxicity levels of various pesticides. At all treatment works and customer taps we regularly check for the presence of some 30 compounds which we know to be in use. Fluoride Water containing fluoride compounds has been shown to help prevent dental cavities from forming - particularly in young children although there are conflicting reports about its value as well as other side effects. By law, a Health Authority may ask us to add fluoride to water supplies within a specific area. Some of the water we supply contains fluoride quite naturally but not at the level that would be recommended for dental purposes. Cryptosporidium Cryptosporidium is a very small protozoan parasite which is found in many 'hosts' including birds, fish and mammals. In humans it can cause severe sickness and diarrhoea particularly in the young, elderly and immuno-compromised. A very low level dose can be sufficient to cause infection. It freely exists in the natural environment and can exist in a dormant state for long periods. It can be transmitted from unwashed fruit and vegetables, swimming pools and occasionally water supplies. The Company has conducted risk assessments at all its sources and regular monitoring takes place. At two sites, Farlington and Lovedean, the Company has installed sophisticated treatment plants which are capable of removing the infective cryptosporidium oocysts and treatment plants are planned for Soberton, Fishbourne and River Itchen.
Deciding whether a water has an unusual taste is a very subjective question. Without doubt some palates are much more sensitive than others and it is sometimes difficult to know whether it is detectable by the sense of taste or smell. Most taste complaints we receive are usually linked to the chlorine dose that we add to ensure disinfection of the water. Chlorine has been used for disinfection by the Industry for many years and it is probably due to its use that most waterborne diseases have been eliminated in the western world.
None of the bottled water available today is of better quality than tap water. In fact the statutory standards for tap water are stricter than those for bottled water. In certain circumstances the quality can be inferior to tap water especially if the bottle has been stored in warm conditions. The real difference between bottled and tap water is the cost. The bottled variety costs around one thousand times more than tap water and unlike tap water delivery is an additional cost! Try filling a bottle with tap water, leaving it in the fridge overnight and then trying a taste test. You'll be surprised at the result!
The market for domestic water filters has increased enormously in recent years. This is partly due to the extravagant advertising about them which casts doubt on the quality of tap water. Tap water is entirely safe to drink and you need not worry about it affecting your health. In some cases filters can improve taste. They do, however, remove all chlorine and this means that the protection against contamination is also removed. If you do use a filter, remember to change the cartridge regularly, and always keep the filtered water in a cool place. The fridge is best.
All the water the Company supplies is derived from the chalk of the South Downs. It is of excellent quality from the health point of view, but its chalk source means that it is moderately hard. Kettles Hardness can cause kettles to deposit limestone 'fur' which, although harmless, will cling to the sides and elements of metal kettles. In plastic kettles the scale is less likely to cling to the smooth surface and often forms a film on top of the boiled water instead. This unfortunately sometimes produces an 'oily' film on the surface of hot drinks. The effect of this can be reduced by emptying and rinsing the kettle each time it is used. Other Effects By design, modern central heating systems are relatively immune to scale problems. The same applies to hot water heating in 'indirect' hot water cylinders provided the temperature of the cylinder can be independently controlled and kept below 60°C. With immersion heaters we recommend that the thermostats are set between 50°C and 60°C. Artificially
softened water is not always of the same microbiological standard as mains
water and can contain high concentrations of sodium. Softened water should
not be used to prepare baby foods and a tap providing unsoftened water
for drinking and cooking must always be retained in households if a softener
is installed. HARDNESS VALUES Click on the map below to ascertain the hardness level in your house.
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