A private water supply is any water supply which is not provided by Dŵr Cymru / Welsh Water.
The source of the supply may be a spring, well, borehole or a surface derived supply. The supplies serve a single property or several properties or serve a commercial or public premise.
The legislation applicable to regulating all private water supplies in Wales is the Private Water Supplies (Wales) 2017. The regulations:
- apply to all water intended either in its original state or after treatment and intended for drinking, cooking, food preparation or other domestic purposes. They also apply to all water used in any food production undertaking where products produced are intended for human consumption.
- stipulate water quality standards to protect the health of consumers of the supply.
- require the Council to undertake a risk assessment of all shared water supplies and commercial supplies every 5 years and to respond to any request for a risk assessment by the owners or occupiers of a single dwelling.
- require the Council to monitor all shared supplies and commercial supplies in accordance with the sampling frequencies specified and to respond to any requests by owners or occupiers of single dwellings.
- requires the council to keep records of all private water supplies in the district and to supply on report of activities undertake to the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI).
- sets out procedures that the Council must follow if the Council considers a private water supply to be unwholesome or a potential danger to human health.
- makes provision for fees to be charged to owners of private supplies in respect of undertaking various activities or duties required by the regulations.
The Isle of Anglesey County Council has approved charges for undertaking its activities under the Regulations; see “Private water supply fees” under the fees and charges page.