Private distribution systems
Where a water company supplies water to a boundary of a premises and the person responsible for the premises supplies it onwards to other buildings or properties on the site which have different occupiers, this becomes a private water supply under the Private Water Supplies Regulations 2009. Types of premises where this might occur would include campsites where water is distributed to individual units or stand pipes, business parks, industrial estates or a college campus.
This further distribution of water is known as a Private Distribution System and the regulations introduce responsibilities for the person in charge of the distribution.
We are required to identify private distribution systems in the district and to carry out a risk assessment on the pipes, storage tanks etc. which join the buildings. Monitoring will then be undertaken to check that measures are in place to ensure the water is safe.
The risk assessment will determine the frequency of monitoring which will take into account the nature of the distribution system, number and types of premises served.