Page 257 - The City and Guilds Textbook: Plumbing Book 1 for the Level 3 Apprenticeship (9189), Level 2 Technical Certificate (8202) and Level 2 Diploma (6035)

Chapter 5 Cold water systems

The distinction between fluid category 4 and fluid category 5 is often difficult KEY POINT
to interpret. In general, we can assume that fluid category 4 is such that
the risk to health, because of the level of toxicity or the concentration of We must remember that
fluid category 1 is clean,
substances, is such that harm will occur over a prolonged period of days to cold, wholesome water
weeks to months, whereas the risk from fluid category 5, because of the high direct from the water
concentration of substances or the level of toxicity, is such that serious harm undertaker’s main and
could occur after a very short exposure of minutes to hours to days, or even a no other fluid category
single exposure. must come into contact
with it or contamination
2 THE TYPES OF WATER SUPPLY may occur.

TO DWELLINGS

Types of water supply in the UK
There are two types of water supply in the UK:

1 water supplied by a water authority, known as a water undertaker, under
Section 67 of the Water Act
2 water supplied from a private source, such as a borehole, river or stream.

The Water Act 2003 (Water Industry Act 1991)

The Water Act 2003 amalgamates and amends two previous pieces of INDUSTRY TIP
legislation: the Water Industry Act 1991 and the Water Resources Act 1991. Access the Water Act 2003
The Water Act 2003 introduced changes to the regulation of the water industry at: www.legislation.gov.uk/
in England and Wales originally made under the Water Industry Act 1991. It is ukpga/2003/37/contents
enforced by the Environment Agency and deals with such matters as:
● the appointment and regulation of water and sewerage companies and
licensed water suppliers by the Water Services Regulation Authority
(Ofwat)
● water supply and sewage disposal powers, and duties of the water companies
and suppliers
● the obligations of the water companies and licensed water suppliers to
supply water that is fit for human consumption, and the enforcement of
those obligations by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
(Defra) and the Drinking Water Inspectorate
● charging powers of water companies and suppliers, and the control of those
charges by Ofwat
● protection of customers and consumers by Ofwat and the Consumer Council
for Water.

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