Private water supplies
How we carry out risk assessments and sampling tests on private water supplies, including fees.
A private water supply is any supply of water that is intended for human consumption and domestic purposes, which is not provided by a water company such as Affinity Water.
This will generally be a water supply which is taken from a spring, well or borehole.
Find out more about private water supplies – Drinking Water Inspectorate.
Private distribution systems
A private distribution system is where water is supplied from the water company which is then further distributed to the owner of another property.
This can include houses built on land sold for development, but where the water supply is still distributed by the original landowner.
The Private Water Supplies Regulations 2009 controls all private water supplies and private distributions systems. It aims to protect the health of people consuming water from these sources.
Risk assessments and sampling tests
The regulations require us to:
- carry out risk assessments every 5 years
- regularly sample each private water supply
These assess each supply’s microbiological and chemical quality to identify any potential health risks.
We are not required to undertake a risk assessment at single properties unless it is requested to do so by the owner or occupier.
Risk assessments differ according to the type of private water supply. All tests look at the whole supply system from the water source to the tap.
The assessments identify the risks to the quality of the water including:
- farm animals (livestock)
- wildlife
- farming (agricultural) activities
- sewage storage or treatment within the area
- geography of the landscape (topography)
- water treatment
- condition of the storage tanks, reservoirs and pipe work
| Private water supply services (duties carried out under Private Water Supplies (England) Regulation 2016, as amended, charges restricted to actual cost recovery for specified activity) | Fees |
|---|---|
| Risk assessment (each assessment) | £850 |
| Sampling (each visit) | £150 |
| Investigation (each investigation) | £150 |
| Granting an authorisation (each authorisation) | £150 |
| Analysing a sample taken under Regulation 10 | £25 |
| Analysing a sample taken during check monitoring | £100 |
| Analysing a sample taken during audit monitoring | £500 |
The fees and charges for private water supply sampling are indicative only. Full cost recovery for actual costs will be required.