Pollution control - water

Private water supplies

A private water supply is, in general terms, any water supply which is not a public water supply provided by a water company such as South East Water. The source of the supply may be a well, borehole, spring, stream, river, lake or pond. The supply may serve just one property or several.

Maidstone Borough Council undertakes periodic water sampling from private water supplies in order to check that they meet statutory drinking water standards specified in the Private Water Supplies Regulations 2009. A charge is normally made for sampling.The charges are currently being decided.

If your home or business is served by a private water supply and is not currently registered, or you would like any further information or wish to make an enquiry about the registered supplies, please contact us on the details below.

If you have a private water supply that is currently registered and would like to arrange for a sample to be taken, or would like further advice on treatment methods or other private water supply matters, please contact the Environment Protection Team at 01622 602202 or email customerservices@maidstone.gov.uk

The Private Water Supply Regulations 2009 came into force on 1st January 2010. The regulations impose new monitoring duties and require the local authority to carry out a risk assessment on specific areas of the supply. In addition revised water quality standards and tighter monitoring of certain supplies are intended. The new regulations will specifically impact on supplies for human consumption purposes which on average provide 10 or more cubic metres of water per day or serve 50 or more persons, or are supplied or used as part of a commercial or public activity. They also introduce the concept of a private distribution system - i.e. where a public supply is further distributed to other outlets e.g. Caravan Parks.

If you believe you own a private water supply or a private distribution system in the borough please complete this questionnaire and send it back to us.

Please also find below the recently produced leaflet from the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI). The leaflet provides further information on the new Regulations and what this means to you as an owner or user of a private water supply.

Public water supplies

Local Authorities also have a general duty with regard to public supply drinking water quality and supply and are required to satisfy themselves that all water supplies are wholesome and sufficient. Although consumers are encouraged to contact their water suppliers in the first instance if they have any reason to complain about their water supply, any complaints received by the Council will be followed up and the relevant supplier informed.

Swimming pools

The degree of acidity or alkalinity (sometimes called basicity) of a water is measured in terms of its pH value. A pH value of 7 is neutral; a value falling below 7 indicates an increasing degree of acidity; rising above 7 indicates an increasing degree of alkalinity. As pH value is measured on a logarithmic scale, each unit up or down represent a tenfold difference in alkalinity/acidity. Free and residual Chlorine levels are also measured

The bactericidal action of most disinfectants depends on pH, and it is therefore necessary to maintain the pH value within the optimum effective range for each disinfectant.

For example, the bactericidal efficacy of chlorination decreases rapidly as the pH value rises towards 8.
As the pH value rises towards 8, the water also has an increasing tendency to encourage precipitation of hardness salts.
As the pH value falls below 7, the water becomes increasingly corrosive to pool materials.
if the pH value is too low or too high, the water can irritate the skin and eyes.
Coagulants are significantly less effective if the pH value goes above the recommended range.
Residual Chlorine needs a steady pH.
Free chlorine levels should not exceed 3.0 mg/litre, but should be no less than 0.5 mg/litre.
A balance of no more than 2:1 Free:Residual chlorine should be achieved if possible.

Environmental Health Officers have the authority to monitor water quality in swimming pools.