Our drinking water standards and water quality checks

This is a scientific term used to describe the degree of acidity or alkalinity. 

Regulations need the pH of drinking water to be in the range of 6.5-9.5.

The colour of drinking water is usually because of the presence of naturally occurring dissolved organic matter. But colour may also be because of the presence of iron sediment caused by old cast iron mains in the water distribution network. High colour may be unacceptable to consumers on aesthetic grounds. 

The PCV for colour is 20 degrees Hazen (°H).

Turbidity is caused by very fine particles suspended in water. Turbidity is closely monitored during the treatment process.

Sometimes, water coming out of the tap has a milky/white appearance. This is usually caused by excess air dissolving in the water and isn't harmful.

The PCV for turbidity at customers’ taps is 4.0 NTU.

Occasionally customers complain to us about the taste and smell of their water. A specialist panel performs quality control tests to measure the level of taste and odour.

Conductivity is a measure of the dissolved solids content of water. It's often used to indicate the presence of trace levels of dissolved mineral salts of calcium, magnesium and sodium.

The PCV for conductivity is 2500 uS/cm at 20^oC.

We add chlorine during treatment to disinfect water and make sure it’s free from harmful bacteria. When we add chlorine in strictly controlled amounts, not all of it is used up in the process. Some of it stays as ‘free chlorine’ to maintain microbiological quality as it passes through the distribution pipes.

No PCV is set for chlorine. We carefully calculate how much to add to make sure that once cleaned, water contains enough chlorine to keep it clean throughout the entirety of its journey through the network and retains small concentrations when it comes out of your taps for drinking.

If present, these suggest a possible breach in the water supply system. An efficient treatment process will remove and kill any organisms present.

As bacteria can flourish in taps, be careful not to contaminate your drinking water tap by, for example, hanging a dishcloth over it. Be especially careful when washing food, as bacteria can easily splash back onto the tap.

The PCV standards are 0 per 100 ml for E.coli and 0 per 100 ml for Enterococci.

Nitrites and nitrates are two different molecules that are made up of both nitrogen and oxygen. The chemical difference between nitrites and nitrates is how many oxygen atoms each compound contains.

Normally only traces of these compounds are found in drinking water. But mainly because of agricultural activity, nitrate levels can increase in raw untreated water. When this happens, we treat the water to remove nitrates or use blending to reduce the levels. 

Nitrate is used mainly in inorganic fertilisers but is also used in the production of explosives and glass-making. Nitrate happens naturally in plants and is a key nutrient that helps them grow.

Sodium nitrite is used as a food preservative, especially in processed meats. Nitrite can form in drinking water distribution pipes because of the action of bacteria, where stagnation of nitrate-containing and oxygen-poor drinking water happens.

• The PCV for nitrite is 0.5 mg NO2/l
• The PCV for nitrate is 50 mg NO3/l.

Chloride in drinking water originates from natural sources such as mineral deposits, and from tidal mixing of river and groundwater. It contributes to taste which may be unacceptable to consumers if it exceeds the standard.

The PCV for chloride is 250mgCl/l.

We don't add fluoride to water, but fluoride can be found naturally in raw water supplies at low levels.

The PCV for fluoride is 1.5mgF/l.

Copper happens naturally and is normally found in low concentrations in drinking water. Issues with domestic plumbing and fittings can cause higher-than-normal levels of copper.

The PCV for copper is 2mgCu/l.

Iron is one of the most abundant metals on earth and is found naturally in surface and groundwater. After treatment, it’s normally reduced to trace concentrations in drinking water. Increased levels can happen because of corrosion in old cast iron water mains sediment. Normally there’s no health risk associated with higher levels of iron except in the case of some specific medical conditions. But iron can cause staining on domestic fittings and the water may look unacceptable to some.

The PCV for iron is 200ugFe/l.

Manganese happens naturally in water. High concentrations of manganese are unacceptable in drinking water, as they affect how the water looks and can leave purple or black spots on your laundry.

The PCV for manganese is 50ugMn/l.

Aluminium can happen naturally in water, and we also use aluminium compounds in the water treatment process to help remove impurities. Any aluminium salts added in controlled amounts during the treatment process are removed through the clarification and filtration processes.

The PCV for aluminium is 200ugAl/l.

Lead isn’t normally present in water sources but significant concentrations can happen in drinking water if lead pipes, or copper pipes with lead solder have been used in the domestic plumbing system.

The PCV for lead is 10ugPb/l.

Phosphate dosing is a treatment we use to prevent lead pipe work dissolving in water at customer’s premises. We have it fitted at our water supply works where needed. When sampling specifically for lead, we take a first draw sample (first thing in the morning) and a flushed sample.

Trihalomethanes (THMs) mainly happen in drinking water as trace by-products of the reaction chlorine has with naturally occurring, dissolved organic materials. In drinking water, the significant measure is the sum of a number of compounds classed as THMs – the most common is chloroform.

The PCV for THMs is 100ug/l (sum of all compounds measured).

In addition to the substances listed, we also carry out water quality tests for a wide range of compounds that include:

• hydrocarbons
• pesticides
• herbicides
• phenols
• organic carbon.

We also carry out extensive monitoring of our supplies for cryptosporidium (a parasite that can cause diarrhoea) through sampling of raw and treated water.

Surface water (untreated) is stored in impounding reservoirs to give an adequate supply to meet demand throughout the year. This also enables particles to settle. Ultraviolet light from the sun helps to reduce bacteria levels and break down organic compounds in the raw water.

Water is passed through mesh screens which remove larger-sized materials in raw water such as leaves, weeds and sticks.

Particles are removed through the processes below:

• Coagulation: Coagulants are substances that cause particles in liquid to stick together. In water treatment, we add coagulants to remove solids and particles more easily. The process is called solid-liquid separation. The amount and type of coagulants added to water are precisely measured.
• Flocculation: When particles have increased in size and been strengthened by adding polyelectrolytes (coagulant aids that strengthen the particles formed during coagulation) they can be removed by filtration. The selection of polyelectrolytes may differ with the quality of raw water.
• Sedimentation (clarification): The material produced by the coagulation and flocculation process forms itself into a suspended mass called a sludge blanket in tanks called clarifiers, where the solids settle out as sediment. The clarified water that is left above the sediment is then passed to filters to remove fine particles.
• Dissolved Air Flotation (clarification): This is a type of clarification process in which we float impurities to the surface instead of allowing them to settle at the bottom of a tank. We then release micro-bubbles, created by saturating water with air under high pressure, into the flocculated water, attaching to floating the impurities to the surface. The impurities gradually form a sludge layer on the top which we skim off at regular intervals into a separate channel, while allowing the clarified water underneath to pass on to filters.
• Rapid Gravity Filtration: This process removes very small particles not removed by clarification using either sand alone or mixed layers consisting of anthracite (coal) and sand. It’s important to note that in the absence of coagulation, raw water passes through the filters untreated and no impurities are removed.
• Membrane Filtration: This involves filtering raw water under very high pressure through prefabricated membranes. The process is more expensive but gives better quality water, where the raw water source is of poor quality.
• Sludge: This is the material left over from clarification and filtration processes. We dispose of this either by putting it in a landfill site or directly to the sewer where it is treated at a wastewater treatment works.

We use granular activated carbon (GAC) to remove many tastes and odours. The process causes the materials responsible for taste and odours to be absorbed by the particles of GAC. It's often used during the summer when taste and odour problems are more likely to happen, as well as being used to remove pesticides from drinking water supplies.

The scientific term pH is used to describe the degree of acidity or alkalinity. We need to control the pH levels of water because if water is too acidic it may corrode distribution and domestic pipes. Whereas, if it’s too alkaline, it may cause deposits to form inside the pipes or cause taste or odour problems.

Satisfactory disinfection is vital to prevent waterborne diseases and to make sure we supply water that meets the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations. We use chlorine for disinfection either in gas or liquid form. Other disinfection processes include the use of ultraviolet light (UV).