Northumbrian Water Ltd has been fined £499,725 at Peterlee Magistrate’s Court, with costs of £32,792.65 agreed out of court, following charges brought by the Drinking Water Inspectorate under the Water Industry Act 1991.
The offences arose in December 2016 when water with a taste and odour was supplied from South Moor Service Reservoir, located in Burnhope, Durham which serves 10,000 consumers in County Durham.
The event followed maintenance work on the reservoir that required the internal application and curing of an epoxy coating material. The curing period was not as required in the instructions for use and, when the reservoir was returned to supply, the inadequately cured coating caused taste and odour issues for consumers.
According to the DWI, the product chosen was an epoxy coating which required a period of ‘curing’ the duration of which was dependant on the prevailing ambient temperatures and humidity. The DWI said this was recognised in the fact that dehumidifiers and heaters were deployed to assist the curing process but “the deployment of this equipment was cut short due to financial considerations.”
Consumers described the water as tasting like medicine, plastic, chemical or metallic.
Northumbrian Water pleaded guilty to the supply of water unfit for human consumption and for an offence arising from not following the manufacturer’s instruction for use of a product.
The Inspectorate was critical of the lack of supervision and control of those carrying out the work and the lack of adequate checks on water quality prior to returning the reservoir to service.
Commenting on the fine, Marcus Rink, Chief Inspector of Drinking Water said:
‘This was an event that should not have happened. Corners were cut in carrying out the work and inadequate scrutiny did not identify this. Consumers experienced water with an unpleasant taste and odour which is likely to have been detected had adequate checks been carried out before the reservoir was put back into service.
“This prosecution acts as a reminder to companies of their ultimate responsibility for drinking water quality at all times. We are content that the Court has recognised the seriousness of this event'.
The Drinking Water Inspectorate checks that water companies in England and Wales supply drinking water that does not put consumers at risk, and that is wholesome and acceptable.
It is a criminal offence for a water company to supply water that is unfit for human consumption.
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