Private and Public Water Supplies

Private water supplies are covered by the Private Water Supplies Regulations 1991. The primary purpose of this legislation is to set in place realistic sampling regimes which provide a reasonable measure of protection to people consuming water from private water supplies or consuming food produced using water from private supplies.

Local authorities are responsible for keeping themselves informed about the wholesomeness and sufficiency of private water supplies.
The Council arranges for sampling and analysis of private water supplies at a frequency dictated by the Regulations. This frequency is based on risk, either the volume of water or the number of people supplied.
The department holds a register of the results of testing and analysis which is available for public viewing.

If you would like your private water supply tested, contact the Council or use the online service request form.

Please note: there will be a charge for any water sampling and testing.

If you have a problem with the public water supply, please contact your water provider. In Essex this is usually Essex and Suffolk Water.

For further information, you can also visit the website of the Drinking Water Inspectorate.