Environmental problems Water

Private water supplies

A private water supply is any supply which is not provided by a water undertaker, such as United Utilities. The water may come from a spring, well, borehole, pond, lake, river or stream.

The Private Water Supply Regulations 2018 apply to all private water supplies intended for human consumption. They aim to protect public health and require the same quality standards as the mains water supply. Private supplies are more likely to be contaminated because the sources are more likely to be unprotected from contamination and they are generally not treated to the same standard as public supplies.

We are required to carry out a risk assessment of all private water supplies within Manchester. Risk assessments involve looking at the whole private water supply including the source, the area the water is abstracted from and the number of consumers using it. The risk assessment also includes inspection of the water source, storage tanks, water treatment, and considers any potential hazards that may exist.

Larger supplies (greater than 10 cubic metres per day) that provide water for commercial activities also require sampling to be carried out.  The frequency of these checks depends upon the risk assessment and the volume of water used on an annual basis.

These are all chargeable services, please email contact@manchester.gov.uk to request a list of our fees. 

Further information on private water supplies can be found on the Drinking Water Inspectorate website. 

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