Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 1989 (England and Wales)

Contents

The Water Supply Water Quality Regulations 1989[1] (SI No. 1147) are regulations imposed on the England and Wales Water industry by Statutory Instrument. The regulations were signed jointly by Peter Walker, Secretary of State for Wales and Michael Howard who, as Minister for Water and Planning, was responsible for implementing water privatization in England and Wales during 1988/89.

Schedule 2 of the regulations prescribes concentrations for substances that affect wholesomeness.

Wholesomeness

Table A

Table A Parameters Units of Measurement Value (Max)
Aluminium μg Al/litre (l) 200
Ammonium (ammonia and ammonium ions) mg NH4/litre 0.5
Colour mg/1 Pt/Co scale 20
Copper μg Cu/l 3000
Dissolved or emulsified hydrocarbons ( extract with petroleum ether); mineral oils μg/l 10
Dry residues mg/l 1500 dry at 180°C
Fluoride μg F/l 1500
Hydrogen ion pH value 9.5 - 5.5(min)
Iron μg Fe/l 200
Kjeldahl nitrogen mg N/l 1
Magnesium mg Mg/l 50
Manganese μg Mn/l 50
Nitrate mg NO3/litre 50
Nitrite mg NO2/litre 0.1
Odour (including hydrogen sulphide) Dilution number 3 at 25°C
Oxidizability (permanganate value) mg O2/litre 5
Phenols μg C6H5OH/litre 0.5
Phosphorus μg P/l 2200
Potassium mg K/l 12
Silver μg Ag/l 10 (80 If used in treatment process)
Sodium mg Na/l 150(*)
Sulphate mg SO4/litre 250
Surfactants μg/l (as lauryl sulphate) 200
Taste Dilution number 3 at 25°C
Temperature °C 25
Total organic carbon mg C/l No higher than normal
Turbidity (including suspended solids) Formazin turbidity units 4
Zinc μg Zn/l 5000

Table B

Table B Parameters Units of Measurement Value (Max)
Antimony μg Sb/l 10
Arsenic μg As/l 50
Cadmium μg Cd/l 5
Cyanide μg CN/l 50
Chromium μg Cr/l 50
Mercury μg Hg/l 1
Nickel μg Ni/l 50
Lead μg Pb/l 25
Pesticides (individual substances) μg/l 0.1
Pesticides (total substances) μg/l 0.5
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(i) μg/l 0.2
Selenium μg Se/l 10

(i)The sum of the detected concentrations of fluoranthene, benzo 3.4 fluoranthene, benzo 11.12 fluoranthene, benzo 3.4 pyrene, benzo 1.12 perylene and indeno (1,2,3-cd) pyrene.

Table C

Table C Parameters Units of Measurement Value (Max)
Total coliforms number/100 ml 0
Faecal coliforms number/100 ml 0
Faecal streptococci number/100 ml 0
Sulphite-reducing clostridia number/20 ml <=1(ii)
Colony counts number/1 ml at 22°C or 37°C No significant increase over that normally observed

Table D

Table D Parameters Units of Measurement Value (Max)
Barium μg Ba/l 1000
Benzo 3,4 pyrene ng/l 10
Boron μg B/l 2000
Calcium mg Ca/l 250
Chloride mg Cl/l 400
Conductivity μS/cm 1500 at 20°C
Substances extractable in chloroform mg/l dry residue 1
Tetrachloroethene μg/l 10
Tetrachloromethane μg/l 3
Trichloroethene μg/l 30

Table E

Table E Parameters Units of Measurement Value (Min)
Total hardness mg Ca/l 60
Alkalinity mg HCO3/ litre 30

Sources

  1. ^ "Statutory Instrument 1989 No. 1147". The Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 1989. Office of Public Sector Information (OPSI). 6 July 1989. http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1989/Uksi_19891147_en_1.htm. Retrieved 26 June 2009. 

See also

Other Articles

  1. Water quality
  2. List of Statutory Instruments of the United Kingdom, 1989
  3. Clean Water Act
  4. Hard Water
  5. Soft Water
  6. Water softener
  7. Water quality
  8. Water treatment
  9. Water purification

External

  1. Office of Public Sector Information (OPSI)
  2. UK Statutory Instruments and Explanatory Memorandum
  3. "Statutory Instrument 2000 No. 3184". The Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2000. Office of Public Sector Information (OPSI). 4 December 2000. http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2000/20003184.htm. Retrieved 26 June 2009.