Water Quality

There are two types of water that may be supplied to homes, mains water and private water.

Mains Water
Mains water is supplied by the local water authority. The two major water authorities in the Winchester City Council District are Southern Water and Portsmouth Water. If you have any queries relating to mains water, you should contact the relevant water authority. If the matter is not resolved to your satisfaction then you can contact Consumer Council for Water (Watervoice), who are the industry watchdog.

The Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) regulates public water supplies in England and Wales. The DWI is responsible for assessing the quality of drinking water and taking enforcement action on any standards not being met. They ensure that the water authorities take appropriate action when any water is unfit for human consumption.

Private Water Supplies
Under the Private Water Supplies Regulations 1991, private water supplies are monitored by us to ensure that they meet certain standards. A private supply could serve just one property, or it could be a large supply with a network of pipes supplying water to many properties. It is estimated that around 1% of the population in the UK use water from private supplies. An information leaflet on these regulations can be downloaded from this page.

The City Council currently holds a register of over 200 private water supplies, estimated to serve approximately 2,000 residents. Approximately a third of these supplies are tested on a regular basis to ensure they meet drinking water standards. The register of private water supplies is also shared with other bodies, such as the Environment Agency to ensure that the water quality of these supplies is not compromised by agricultural activities, new developments etc. To protect the quality of the drinking water, it is therefore important that the register is kept as up to date as possible.

If you own or drink water from a private supply and you are unsure whether it has been registered with the City Council, you should check the public register of private water supplies, or you can contact the Environmental Protection Team. Similarly, you should contact us if you would like to have your private water supply tested. For the costs of water analysis, please view the document on this page.

Bathing Waters
As part of the Health and Safety inspection of commercial premises, swimming pools and spa baths are routinely inspected and tested for water quality. These tests and inspections are carried out on a risk-rating basis. If you have any concerns about a particular swimming pool or spa, please contact us on the number below. For information on the quality of other recreational waters, such as beaches, then see the Environment Agency web site. Information on local bathing waters can also be found at the Solent Water Quality Forum website, whose aim is to improve the quality of all local waters (recreational, coastal and rivers).

Downloads:

File format	File title	File size / Download time
	Leaflet on Private Water Supplies	119K 56Kbps Modem: 17 Seconds Broadband: 1 Second
	Private Water Supplies - Public Register	43K 56Kbps Modem: 6 Seconds Broadband: 1 Second
	Private Water Supply Testing Costs 2008	17K 56Kbps Modem: 3 Seconds Broadband: 1 Second
	Private Water Supplies - Engineers/Equipment Providers	77K 56Kbps Modem: 11 Seconds Broadband: 1 Second