Page 267 - 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

Simply put, the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations were made under
Section 74 of the Water Industry Act 1991 and have been put in place to ensure
that the plumbing systems we install and maintain prevent the following:
● contamination of water
● wastage of water
● misuse of water
● undue consumption of water KEY TERM
● erroneous metering of water. Erroneous: wrong; incorrect.
An important factor here is that these Regulations cover only those installations
where the water is supplied from a water undertaker’s water main, and
are enforced by the water undertaker in your area. They are not, however,
enforceable where the water is supplied from a private water source.

A free copy of the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999 can be
downloaded from the relevant government pages at: www.legislation.gov.uk/
uksi/1999/1148/contents/made

The Private Water Supplies Regulations 2016
A private water supply is defined as any water supply that is not provided by a
water undertaker. It is not connected to any part of the water mains network
and, as such, water rates are not charged, although the owner of any such
supply may make a charge for any water used. Private supplies are commonly
used in rural areas where connection to water mains is difficult. A private supply
may serve one property or many properties on a private network. The water
may be supplied from a borehole, spring, well, river, stream or pond.
Under the Water Act 2003, the local authority in the area where the private
water supply is located is responsible for the inspection and testing of the
water supply to ensure that it is maintained to a quality that is fit for human
consumption. These inspections and tests are made in accordance with the
Private Water Supplies Regulations 2016. Generally speaking, the more people
that use the supply, the more detailed the tests and the more regular the INDUSTRY TIP
inspections have to be. Supplies for commercial properties and activities, or
food production and preparation, have to be tested more frequently and meet A free copy of the Private
more stringent requirements than domestic supplies. Water Supplies Regulations
2016 can be downloaded
The Private Water Supplies Regulations 2016 stipulate that a risk assessment here: www.legislation.gov.uk/
must be made of all private water supplies including the source, storage tanks, uksi/2016/618/contents/made
any treatment systems and the premises using the water supply.

Industry standards

The British Standards (BS EN 806 – 1 to 5 and BS 8558)

The main British Standard for design, installation, commissioning, testing,
flushing and disinfection of systems is BS EN 806:2010 Specifications for
installations inside buildings conveying water for human consumption
(in conjunction with guidance document BS 8558:2011 Guide to the design,
installation, testing and maintenance of services supplying water for
domestic use within buildings and their curtilages).
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