The Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2016

Authorisation of supply points

8.—(1) For those parameters specified as items 7 to 16 and 19 to 28 in column 1 of Table 3 in Schedule 3, samples may be taken from—

(a)any blending point;

(b)the water leaving any service reservoir which receives water from a treatment works before its supply to any consumer;

(c)the water leaving any treatment works.

(2) If the Secretary of State is satisfied that analysis of those samples will produce data which are unlikely to differ in any material respect from the data that would be produced from analysis within the sampling points, the Secretary of State may authorise the use for the purposes of regulation 6 of those samples taken for a water supply zone from a blending point, a service reservoir of that description or a treatment works.

(3) In respect of any water supply zone, the taking of samples from a supply point is not authorised under paragraph (2) where a combined licensee introduces water into the water supply zone, unless the water quality within the water supply zone remains approximately uniform.

(4) Subject to paragraph (6), the Secretary of State may, in relation to any parameter not covered by an authorisation given under paragraph (2), on the written application of a water undertaker or on the joint written application of a water undertaker and combined licensee, authorise the use for the purposes of regulation 6 of samples taken for a water supply zone otherwise than from a sampling point.

(5) An authorisation under paragraph (4) may extend to all samples in relation to that parameter or to such number or proportion of those samples as is specified in the authorisation.

(6) The Secretary of State must not grant an authorisation under paragraph (4) unless the Secretary of State is satisfied that analysis of samples taken from a point other than a sampling point will produce data in respect of the parameter in question which are unlikely to differ in any material respect from the data that would be produced in respect of that parameter from analysis of samples obtained from sampling points.

(7) The Secretary of State may at any time vary or revoke an authorisation under paragraph (2) or (4).

(8) But, unless it appears to the Secretary of State that the immediate modification or revocation of an authorisation under paragraph (4) is required in the interests of public health, the Secretary of State must give the water undertaker to which the authorisation relates at least 6 weeks’ notice of the Secretary of State’s intention to modify or revoke before making such modification or revocation.

(9) A water undertaker must notify the Secretary of State as soon as it has reasonable grounds for believing that an analysis of samples taken for a water supply zone from a point other than a sampling point would produce data in respect of the parameter in question which would differ in a material respect from the data produced by an analysis of samples taken from any of the sampling points within that zone.

(10) On being notified under paragraph (9) and without the need for prior notice to the water undertaker, the Secretary of State must revoke the authorisation under paragraph (4).

(11) On the coming into force of these Regulations—

(a)an authorisation under regulation 8(1) of the 2000 Regulations is taken to be an authorisation given under paragraph 8(2) of this regulation;

(b)an authorisation under regulation 8(2) of the 2000 Regulation which had effect immediately before the coming into force of these Regulation is taken to be an authorisation under paragraph 8(4) of this regulation.