Within the
District of Forest Heath properties are supplied by water from
Anglian Water’s public mains supply or by a private water
supply.
If you are on the public mains and
need help with your supply you should
contact Anglian Water on
08457 145145.
Contact Us
For more information
please contact the Environmental Protection Team on:
Tel: 01638
719733 Fax: 01638 719357
Email:
enviroprotection@forest-heath.gov.uk
Post: Environmental Services, District Offices, College Heath Road,
Mildenhall, Suffolk, IP28 7EY
Private Water Supplies
In general terms a 'private water supply' is any water supply which
is not provided by the water company. Most private supplies in
Forest Heath are situated in the more remote, rural parts of the
District. The common source of this type of supply is by borehole.
Springs, boreholes and deep wells that draw water from deep
underground are less likely to be contaminated than supplies from
other sources. The supply may serve just one property or several
properties through a network of pipes.
Forest Heath District Council has a duty to monitor the quality of
private water supplies in its area. We monitor the quality of all
private water supplies through sampling and analysis. The frequency
of sampling of a supply depends on how many people use the
supply and how much water is used. We provide owners of
supplies with the results of sampling and we recover costs for
sampling and analysis by charging owners of supplies. We notify
owners of supplies when failures occur and when there is a risk to
public health, we notify all those people on the supply.
Should a supply be contaminated and pose a risk to public health,
the Council can serve an improvement notice on the owner requiring
them to carry out remedial works. If the works are not carried out
we can carry them out in default and recover the costs. In addition
we notify all those people on the supply about the problem and
provide advice on precautions that can be taken to prevent possible
illness.
Within the Council Offices there is a Public Register for the
private water supplies that people can inspect. The
Council may charge you for this service. Alternatively, you
can arrange for your own first time or additional tests using a
private laboratory. Remember that a water test can only tell you
about the quality of the water at the time of the test. The quality
of your water may change at different times. Forest Heath District
Council can advise you what the result of the test on your water
supply means.
FAQ’s
Q: Can bacteria contaminate private water supplies?
A: A
number of serious illnesses can be contracted from water that is
contaminated with certain bacteria. The most likely source of
contamination of water is by animal droppings. Water supplies drawn
from land where animals graze or where manure is spread are at most
risk. The risk is particularly high at times of heavy rainfall when
water may run directly off farmland and carry micro-organisms into
private water supplies. Discharges from cess pits or septic tanks
are another likely source of contamination. If you know your supply
is contaminated with harmful bacteria you should seek professional
advice and boil all water to be used for drinking and food
preparation until suitable treatment is installed.
If you are an owner of a
supply and know it is contaminated, you should install treatment
for it. If it serves more than one household it is better (and
probably more economical) to install treatment for the supply as a
whole rather than in individual households. Many different forms of
treatment are available, and your choice must suit your particular
supply and the type of contamination. We will give advice about
treatment methods or other improvements to your water supply.
If there is bacterial
contamination in a supply, and depending on the public health
implications, we shall either provide advice for people on how they
can reduce levels of the contaminant, or in more serious incidents,
require owners to carry out permanent remedial works.
Q: Are there any risks from chemicals?
A: Private water
supplies may be affected by chemicals used in farming and industry.
For example a common contaminant of private water supplies in the
more rural area of the district is nitrate. High levels of nitrate
in water pose a risk to the health of unborn babies and those under
six months of age. If there are elevated levels of chemicals
in a supply, and depending on the public health implications, we
shall either provide advice for people on how they can reduce
levels of the contaminant, or in more serious incidents, require
owners to carry out permanent remedial works.
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