FUW urges farmers to submit views on water supply clampdown

Farmers were urged today to make their views known to the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) over a plan to give local councils widespread powers to analyse private water supplies and charge fees for carrying out the checks.

"A WAG consultation paper, issued under a European Council Directive, proposes that local authority staff take and analyse samples from small private supplies at least once a year and monitor larger supplies more frequently," said FUW senior policy officer Rhian Nowell-Phillips.

"They will monitor private supplies to check that they meet the drinking water quality standards and satisfy other requirements under the proposed Private Water Supplies (Wales) Regulations 2009 that determine whether water is wholesome and clean and is not a risk to human health."

Local authorities will be allowed to charge fees of between £75 and £435 when they carry out monitoring, up to £100 for each risk assessment, and up to £80 for each visit that it must make to take samples.

However, WAG proposes that there should be a joint fee, up to £125, where a local authority combines a visit to take samples with an inspection or investigation for the purposes of carrying out a risk assessment.

If you receive drinking water from a private supply, or are responsible for providing or maintaining a private supply, the local authority would normally contact you to let you know that an authorised person intends to visit to take samples and/or to carry out a risk assessment.

Where the quality of a private supply fails to meet the standards because the source is contaminated, or the water is not treated adequately, or the distribution system is in poor condition, the local authority would require you to take action to improve the supply.

The local authority would usually negotiate informally with you to agree what action you ought to take to remedy a failure, and by when. If you cannot solve the problem informally, then the local authority would require you to take action formally.

This would depend on the reasons for the failure and the level of any risk to human health. The responsible persons would then have to arrange and pay for all remedial action.

"It is obvious from the consultation paper that these proposed regulations give local authorities sweeping powers," said Ms Nowell-Phillips.

"We would urge farmers to make their views known to their nearest FUW county office well before the June 5 closing date for responses."

Responses can also be sent to: Phil Chatfield, Welsh Assembly Government, PWS Consultation, Climate Change and Water Division, 3rd Floor A02, Cathays Park, Cardiff, CF10 3NQ, or by e-mail to: water.consultation@wales.gsi.gov.uk