Drinking Water (Quality)

HC Deb 07 February 1989 vol 146 cc591-7W

Ms. Quin

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list all those water supplies in England which currently fail to meet the standards set out in the European Economic Community directives on the quality of drinking water and whether or not these are subject to derogations; how and when it is proposed for each of these water supplies to meet the standards laid down; and what the latest estimated cost of complying with the standards is in each case.

Mr. Moynihan

Drinking water supplies to the following areas in England regularly exceed one or more of the standards set in the EC drinking water directive. Under the terms of the directive the Department has granted derogations (exemptions) for non-toxic parameters provided that the situation is due to the nature and structure of the ground and there is no public health risk. We have also applied to the Commission under article 20 for a longer period in which to meet the directive in certain cases and have submitted programmes of improvement. Implementation of the remedial programmes would mean that most supplies should comply with the directive by 1990. Most of the derogated supplies should comply by 1995.

Anglian Water Authority Area

• Bucklesham
• Braintree
• Braintree—Northern Rural
• Braintree—Kelvedon and Tiptree
• Colchester—Lexden
• Colchester—Greenstead
• Colchester—South
• Colchester—West Bergholt
• Colchester—North
• Bures
• Baylham—Kirby Rise
• Baylham—Winston
• Belstead
• Heigham—Kirby Cane
• Mattishall
• Mundesley
• Raydon, Belstead, Alton, Great Wenham
• Rushall—Bunwell
• Harwich Peninsula (S)
• Harwich Peninsula (U)
• Alford—Driby
• Elkesley
• Elkesley—Grove—Newton—Ordsall Road
592
• Everton (Lincoln Division)
• Gainborough
• Grove—Ordsall Road
• Ordsall Road
• Scarle
• Winterton Holmes
• Winterton Holmes—Barrow
• Mumby—Fordington
• Driby—Fordington
• Parts of Huntingdon and South Cambridgeshire districts (Kingston pumping station)
• Parts of Huntingdon and South Cambridgeshire districts (Lords Bridge pumping station)
• Parts of Cambridgeshire district—Croydon pumping station
• Sandhouse—Battlesdon
• Heacham and Hunstanton
• Docking
• Grafham—Huntingdon
• Birchmoor (Cambridge division)
• Pulloxhill (Cambridge division)
• Meppershall (Cambridge division)
• Dunton—Newspring (Cambridge division)
• Foxcote—Grafham (Cambridge division)
• Pitsford East (Oundle division)
• Pitsford West
• Ravensthorpe
• Part of Havering—Dagenham Well
• Part of Redbridge—Seven Kings Well
• Part of Redbridge—Roding Well
• Colchester—Lexden (Colchester division)
• Maltby le Marsh
• Welton le Marsh—Candlesby—Fordington
• Waddingham—Glentham—Ulceby

North West Authority Area

• Chester CBC: Ashton and Moldsworth
• Chester CBC: Malpas
• Congleton DC: Congleton Town Area
• Southport
• Formby
• High Peak District Glossop
• Stockport MB: excluding Reddish, Heaton Mersey, Heaton
593
• Moor
• Bolton MB: excluding West Loughton, Lostock Areas
• Tameside MB: Ashton, Stalybridge, Dukinfield, Mossley
• Oldham BN: excluding Royton and Chadderton
• Rochdale MB: excluding Middleton
• Rossendale Borough, Bury MB, Ramsbottom, Walmersley, Tottington
• Burnley Borough
• Hyndburn Borough; South and East Accrington
• Carlisle District, excluding city area and the parishes of Burgh by Sands Orton, Dalston, Beaumont, Cummersdale
• Eden District:parishes of Matterdale, Hutton, Dacre, Greystoke, Threlkeld, Mungrisedale
• South Lakeland District: Parish of Dent
• South Lakeland; Township of Ulverston parishes of Pennington, Osmotherly, Mansriggs, Egton with Newland, Urswick
• Barrow in Furness district
• Lancaster Borough, Lancaster City Area and parishes of Slyne with Hest and Boston le Sands
• Lancaster Borough, Village of Lowgill in parish of Tatham
• Ribble Valley District; parishes of Longridge, Hothersall, Ribchester, Dutton
• Fylde DC, Blackpool BC; Preston BC; South Ribble DC; Wyre DC; Fleetwood; Thornton Cleveleys; Preston le Fylde

Northumbrian Water Authority Area

• Tyne and Wear—Districts of Sunderland and South Tyneside
• Durham—Districts of Chester le Street and Easington
• Tunstall
• Duddo—Berwick on Tweed
• Tyne and Wear—Durham
• Borough of Hartlepool
• Tyne and Wear—Districts of Sunderland and South Tyneside, Durham, district of Chester le Street
• Holy Island—Berwick upon Tweed
• Stanhope—Crawleyside

Severn Trent Water Authority Area

• Parts of Warwick DC area—(Leek Wootton source)
• Parts of North West Leicestershire DC area— (Acresford source)
• Parts of Melton DC area— (Bottesford source)
• Parts of Staffordshire Moorlands, Stoke on Trent and Newcastle under Lyme DC/BC areas— (Ladderedge Service reservoir)
• Parts of South Staffordshire and Bridgnorth DC—(Neachley source)
• Parts of North Warwickshire DC, Coventry and Nuneaton (Whitacre and Frankley waterworks)
594
• Parts of North Shropshire DC— (Kinsall source)
• Parts of Wrekin DC area—(Rudway source)
• Parts of West Derbyshire DC—(Yeldersley source)
• Rural distribution system East of Leek in Staffordshire Moorlands DC area
• Hanley Distribution system, Stoke-on-Trent
• Cauldon Distribution system
• Part of Charnwood and Hinkley and Bosworth DC areas
• Part of Stroud DC
• Parts of Radnor, Leominster, South Shropshire, Bridgnorth and Wyre Forest DC areas
• Parts of Birmingham, Solihull and surrounding areas
• Heath Street, Smethwick; Sandwell Metro BC industrial
• Parts of Burton on Trent in East Staffordshire and South Derbyshire DC areas
• Parts of Burton on Trent, Cannock area and parts of Walsall and Sutton Coldfield
• Parts of South Derbyshire, parts of Lichfield DC
• Parts of Walsall and Sandwell Met areas
• Parts of Dudley Met Borough
• Parts of Great Wyrley and Cheslyn Hay in South Staffordshire DC area
• Those areas supplied directly from the treatment works Bamford
• Parts of Bridgnorth DC area
• Bulk supply from the Slade Heath source of the South Staffordshire Waterworks Company to the Essington an of South Staffordshire DC
• Bulk supply from the Hampton Loade works of the Sou1 Staffordshire Waterworks Company to large parts Wolverhampton BC and parts of Walsall BC
• Part of Montgomery DC area
• Parts of North Warwickshire DC, Lichfield DC, South Derbyshire DC and East Staffordshire DC

Southern Water Authority Area

• River Medway Scheme Supply area (part of Tonbridge and Malling BC area)
• Bewl Bridge supply zone (parts of Ashford and Rother DC and Tunbridge Wells BC areas)
• Part of Crowborough Town, Village of Eridge, Groombridge, Withyham from Groombridge Treatment works
• Village at Ditchling, East Sussex, from Ditchling source Weirwood Reservoir Weirwood

South West Water Authority Area

• Parishes of Seaton and Beer Littleham
• Parishes from Tottiford water treatment works
• Parishes from Prewley water treatment works
• Parish of Parkham
• Bideford
595
• College supply zone—Falmouth and Penryn
• Watercombe supply zone part of Nybridge—Devon and Noss Mayo Devon
• Boscathnoe supply zone—higher parts of Penzance Cornwall
• Bastreet supply zone—Launceston and Callington areas of Cornwall
• De Zank supply zone—Bodmin and Wadebridge areas of Cornwall
• Princetown WTW supply zone—Princetown Devon
• Belstone supply area including Chagford, Crediton Hamlets, South Veal, Sticklepath, South Tawton
• Dunkeswell Broadhembury Kentisbeare Luppit Sheldon
• Bryher Island
• Tamar WTW supply zone parishes in Devon/North Cornwall
• St. Mary's Island

Thames Water Authority Area

• Part of Croydon and Tonbridge—supplies from Kenley works
• Parts of Mole Valley, Elmbridge Guildford and Reigate and Banstead—supplies from Elmer works

Yorkshire Water Authority Area

• Ewden treatment works supply system
• West Barnsley and rural area to west of town (Ingbirchworth works)
• Loxley Treatment works supply system South
• Western area of Sheffield
• West Barnsley and rural area to west of town (Royd Moor works)
• Part of Leeds, West Yorkshire (Eccup Supply)
• Parts of Pontefract and Knottingley
• Part of Leeds, West Yorkshire
• Wakefield, West Yorkshire
• Rural area to East of Thirsk, North Yorkshire
• Stalling, Busk Village, Yorkshire Dales
• Villages of Mickley and North Stanley North West of Ripon
• Harlow Hill—Irongate Bridge treatment works supply area, Harrogate, North Yorkshire
• Countersett Village, Yorkshire Dales
• Filey, North Yorkshire
• Rural area to north of Richmond, North Yorkshire
• Rural area in Upper Wensleydale, North Yorkshire
• Marsett Village, Yorkshire Dales
• Hawes Village
• Elingstring Village
• Addingham, West Yorkshire
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• High Bentham Village
• Dewsbury, Mirfield and Huddersfield, West Yorkshire
• Burnsall Village, Wharfedale, North Yorkshire
• Baildon area, North Bradford, West Yorkshire
• Parts of Huddersfield, Dewsbury and Wakefield, West Yorkshire
• Rural area in Ribblesdale
• Huddersfield/Holmbridge, Holmstyes area
• Holmfirth area
• Parts of Huddersfield
• Rural area of Keighley
• Rombalds area
• Otley, West Yorkshire
• West Bradford
• Rural area to West and South of Halifax (Haugh Top)
• Rural area to West and South of Halifax (Withens Clough)
• Northern area of Halifax
• Low Bentham Village
• Ingleton Village
• Measton Area
• West Huddersfield
• South East, Huddersfield
• Part of the parish of Escrick in the district of Selby

Remedial programmes have been prepared to achieve compliance with the nitrate standard in the directive in the following areas:

"Water Authority Area and Area of Supply

Anglian"

• Barrow
• Dersingham and Snettisham
• Docking
• Heacham and Hunstanton
• Moulton and Kennet
• Wisbech
• Harbrough—part of Lincolnshire
• Aswarby—Saltersford—part of Lincolnshire
• Binbrook—part of Lincolnshire
• Bully Hill—Barnoldby—part of Lincolnshire
• Bully Hill—Otby—part of Lincolnshire
• Clay Hill—Drove Lane, Sleaford
• Sleaford—Drove Lane
• Potterhanworth—part of Lincolnshire
• Saltersford
• Waneham Bridge—Saltersford
• Ely and Littleport
• Harbrough—Coveham, part of Cleethorpes
• Bowthorpe, part of Norwich
• Heigham—Thorpe part of Norwich
• Otby
• Otby—Waddingham
• Little London
• Winterton Holmes—Barrow
• Branston Booths
• Waddingham—Glentham—Ulceby

Severn Trent

• Parts of Leamington, Kenilworth, Warwick and Stratford DC
597
• Parts of South Derbyshire DC
• Part of Stourbridge, Dudley MBC (Coalbournbrook Source)
• Malvern Hills and Wyre Forest DC
• Parts of Wrekin DC (Lillehall source)
• Part of South Shropshire DC
• Part of Wrekin DC (Puleston Bridge source)
• Parts of Newark DC (Farnsfield source)
• Parts of Nottingham CC area (primarily Hucknall)

South Staffs Waterworks Co.

• Parts of Lichfield DC Sutton Coldfield Area
• North Warwickshire CC and Walsale Met area

South West

• St. Mary's Island

Thames

Lee Valley Water Co. Part of Luton

In addition, a number of other supplies occasionally fail to meet one or more of the standards set in the directive. We have asked water authorities to identify these supplies and where we cannot grant derogations under article 9 of the EC directive, programmes of improvement are being prepared.

Water undertakers are preparing estimates of the cost of improving drinking water quality. It would be difficult to distinguish precisely that part required to meet the standards set in the directive from investment to meet other requirements of quality and reliability.