Annual report on the quality of our drinking water

TH REE VALLEYS WATERWater Quality 2008

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Contents

Welcome .......................................................................................................................................................................... 1

Three Valleys Water ...................................................................................................................................................... 2

Our Water Supply .......................................................................................................................................................... 3

Drinking Water Quality.................................................................................................................................................. 6

Appendix 1 – Drinking Water Quality Standards .................................................................................................. 7

Appendix 2 – Undertakings ........................................................................................................................................ 9

Appendix 3 – Statements of Intent .......................................................................................................................... 9

Appendix 4 – Incidents .............................................................................................................................................. 10

Appendix 5 – Quality Queries ................................................................................................................................ 11

Welcome to the 2008 report on the quality of the drinking water we supply in our area. I hope you find it bothinteresting and informative.

We are committed to supplying high quality drinking water 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and providing anexcellent service to our customers. To achieve this, we have treatment facilities that use the latest technology anda sophisticated real-time monitoring system. Our dedicated operational teams and water quality experts workaround the clock to ensure that our treatment works continually produce water of a high standard and that itarrives at your tap at the same high standard.

During the year we spent much time and effort in producing a Drinking Water Safety Plan (DWSP) for each one ofour treatment works. These plans will help us manage any potential risks and safeguard drinking water supplies.

We sample and analyse the water we supply at all stages of the supply process to confirm that the water is safe todrink. I am pleased to report that our compliance with the relevant water quality standards has remained high in2008. This report details how we performed during the year.

If you have any queries about your water quality, please contact us on 0845 782 3333.

Andy SmithManaging Director,Three Valleys Water PLC

Welcome

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Andrew SmithManaging Director, Three Valleys Water PLC

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Three Valleys WaterThree Valleys Water PLC is a subsidiary of Veolia WaterUK, which is part of Veolia Environnement, the worldleader in environmental services.

In 2008, we supplied a daily average of 850 millionlitres of water to around three million customers in anarea of 3,727 square kilometres covering all or part of:

Hertfordshire, the London Boroughs of Barnet, Brent,Ealing, Enfield, Haringey, Harrow, Hillingdon and

Hounslow, the Essex districts of Brentwood, EppingForest, Harlow and Uttlesford, the Bedfordshire districtsof Luton and South Bedfordshire, the Buckinghamshiredistricts of Chiltern, South Buckinghamshire andWycombe, the Surrey districts of Elmbridge, Guildford,Runnymede, Spelthorne, Surrey Heath and Woking andthe Berkshire districts of Slough, Windsor andMaidenhead.

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Our Water SupplyOur Source Water

Sixty percent of the water we supply comes fromdeep chalk boreholes which produce naturally hardwater. Thirty five percent comes from the RiverThames via one of our four treatment works and theremaining five percent from the water treatmentworks at Grafham which is owned and operated byAnglian Water.

Treatment In 2008We operated 80 water treatment works across ourarea to ensure we met our customers’ demand fordrinking water.

We use a range of treatment processes tailored tothe individual raw water to ensure that the waterwe supply is always safe to drink.

All supplies are subject to disinfection, either by theaddition of chlorine or by ultra-violet (UV) radiation,to ensure that our water is free from harmfulbacteria.

The water from the River Thames and some of theboreholes in the Hatfield area can be naturallydiscoloured. To ensure the water has a clearappearance we treat it using coagulation,clarification and filtration.

Where there are pesticides in the raw water, theseare removed using granular activated carbon (GAC),and sometimes ozone.

We operate seven membrane filtration plants acrossour area which ensure the water does not containpotentially harmful micro-organisms.

Iron removal processes are in place at fourtreatment works that receive water with naturallyhigh levels of iron.

Air-stripping or GAC is also used at five sites toremove volatile organic compounds.

We have plumbosolvency control treatment in placeat 35 sites to reduce the amount of lead that maydissolve into drinking water from customers’ leadpipes. This treatment works by forming a protectivelayer on the inside of any lead pipes.

We often receive enquiries asking whether ourdrinking water is fluoridated - we do not addfluoride to any of our supplies, although some

sources contain a very small amount of naturallyoccurring fluoride. You can quickly check the level inyour water by visiting our website atwww.3valleys.co.uk

Distribution Once water is treated it passes directly into supplyor to one of our 131 storage installations. We thendistribute it to our customers through a complexnetwork of over 14,000 km of water mains.

We take great care to maintain and operate thepipes and storage systems to ensure water arrives atour customers’ properties in the same high qualitycondition as it leaves our water treatment works.

Water entering the distribution network contains aresidual amount of chlorine to ensure the quality ofwater is maintained throughout the system.

Drinking Water Safety Plans (DWSPs)In 2007 The Water Supply (Water Quality)Regulations 2000 were amended and one of theamendments was to include a requirement forwater companies to produce a risk assessment foreach of its treatment works and associated supplysystems. These risk assessments are commonlyknown as Drinking Water Safety Plans (DWSPs). Theobjective of producing the plans is to identify, assessand mitigate all the risks associated with thetreatment works and their supply systems so thatdrinking water quality is safeguarded.

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During 2008 we developed our DWSP methodologyand completed DWSPs for all our treatment works.We are now embedding the culture of DWSPs withinall aspects of our operations.

The Water Quality StandardsAll drinking water we supply must be wholesomeand comply with the standards set in the WaterSupply (Water Quality) Regulations 2000 (asamended). These regulations incorporate theEuropean Community (EC) Drinking Water Directive(98/83/EC) into British law.

The standards against which all results werecompared are listed and explained in Appendix 1.They apply to a variety of measurements which,when taken together, encompass all the qualitiesneeded to ensure that water is wholesome.

When standards are not met the Secretary of Stateis obliged to consider taking enforcement action.However, under Section: 19 (1) of the 1991 WaterIndustry Act, there is discretion not to enforce whenthe contravention is considered trivial or wherebuilding or replacement work is needed to enablethe standards to be met. In the latter case, we mustgive an Undertaking, as permitted in the Act, thatthe necessary remedial work will be completed by agiven date. An Undertaking will not be accepted ifthere is a perceived risk to public health throughcontinued non-compliance with the standard.

In addition, Regulations 20 and 21 of The WaterSupply (Water Quality) Regulations 2000 give theSecretary of State the power to authorise adeparture from a standard. In general, AuthorisedDepartures have the same conditions asUndertakings.

Water Quality Monitoring We monitor water quality at many locationsthroughout our supply system. The results provideessential information that helps us manage andcontrol the system. This ensures that the water atour customers' taps is of excellent quality.

We have three sampling teams at Staines,Stevenage and Rickmansworth; they have allachieved the quality management standard IS09001: 2000.

Our laboratory at Staines, which is United KingdomAccreditation Service (UKAS) accredited, carried outthe analysis of the samples.

Our Position in 2008During 2008, we had three Undertakings in placerelating to the parameters nitrate, bromate, and thepesticide, chlorotoluron. Full details of theseUndertakings are given in Appendix 2. We had noAuthorised Departures in place.

Details of our Statement of Intent with regard toreplacing the borehole at Hatfield because ofbromate contamination of the aquifer are given in Appendix 3.

Water Quality InformationA printed copy of the water quality data relating tothe Water Supply Zone in which a customer lives isavailable free of charge. (However there is a smallcharge for information on other zones.) Customerscan request this information by email through ourwebsite at www.3valleys.co.uk or by telephone on0845 782 3333 or by writing to us at the address atthe back of this booklet.

Customers can also contact us on the above numberif they have any concerns about the quality of theirwater supply. Our Water Quality Services team canoffer advice on the telephone or provide informationon a variety of different water quality issuesincluding taste and odour, hardness, discolourationand illness. If necessary, we can arrange a visit to acustomer's property, at which time samples may betaken for subsequent analysis.

Further information on the most common queriesregarding the quality of the water supply is inAppendix 5.

Drinking Water InspectorateThe quality of drinking water in England and Walesis audited by the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI).Samples taken as part of the compliance monitoringprogramme from water treatment works, servicereservoirs and customers' taps are analysed andresults forwarded to the Inspectorate at regularintervals throughout each year.

In addition, the Inspectorate requires immediatenotification of any water quality situation whichcould affect public health, cause concern to acustomer or attract significant media attention.

During 2008, we informed the Inspectorate of 14such events, four of which the Inspectorate regardedas constituting incidents in which drinking waterquality had deteriorated.

In each case, we contacted the relevant LocalAuthority and Health Authority to discuss the issueand took the appropriate remedial action, to ensurethat public health was safeguarded.

The DWI has completed its investigations into all ofthese incidents and reported their conclusions andrecommendations to us. We have taken action on allthe recommendations. Details of these incidentsare in Appendix 4.

Liaison with Health Authorities andLocal Authorities

We regularly liaise with the Local Authorities andHealth Authorities within our area as part of ourobligation to protect public health. We advise themabout changes in the quality of water supplies anddiscuss the possible implications to public health.

We meet regularly with these authoritiesthroughout the year, to discuss matters of mutualinterest and we also respond to requests forassistance from Local Authorities and HealthAuthorities when they are investigating matters ofpublic health.

Overall QualityIn 2008, we carried out over 190,000 tests on waterleaving treatment works, at service reservoirs and atcustomers’ taps as part of our regulatory monitoringprogramme. The vast majority of the resultscomplied with the standards set in the Water Supply

(Water Quality) Regulations 2000 (as amended),confirming that drinking water quality continues tobe of a very high standard. In 2008 our overallcompliance performance was 99.97% while ourMean Zonal Compliance (the measure used by DWI)was 99.98%.

During the year, we carried out 1,117 tests forCryptosporidium on samples taken from threetreatment works where there is the potential for thewater to contain Cryptosporidium. Oocysts weredetected in two samples (0.2%) at very lowconcentrations. There were no associated outbreaksof Cryptosporidiosis in the community.

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In addition to the compliance analysis,we carried out over 400,000tests on operational samples.The results from these samples

provided further informationessential for the day to day

management of our operations.

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In 2008, only 58 results from our regulatory monitoring programme did not comply with the relevant standard.In each case we carried out a thorough investigation which established that the exceedence did not pose a riskto public health. Only seven compliance parameters did not achieve full compliance. A commentary on theresults of these parameters follows.

Drinking Water Quality

Bacteriological 1. Coliform Bacteria

Because coliform bacteria are widely distributedin the environment they are used as an indicatorof possible pollution. Whenever coliforms weredetected, we carried out a full investigation. Allthe investigations established that there was norisk to public health.

2. E.coli Similarly, whenever E.coli were detected wecarried out a full investigation. All theinvestigations established that there was no riskto public health.

Appearance 3. Turbidity

We detected turbidity levels above the standardat six treatment works. Follow up investigationsestablished that none of the occurrences posed arisk to public health.

Chemical 4. Iron

Contraventions of the iron standard are generallydue to the presence of corrosion deposits in

some water mains. Although not a health risk,the discoloured water that may result is anuisance to customers. To overcome theseproblems, we continued to clean and replaceaffected mains.

5. Manganese Two samples showed a level of manganeseabove the standard. In both cases furthersampling showed that the manganeseconcentration had returned to normal.

6. Copper One sample was found to contain aconcentration of copper above the standard. Theinvestigation into this exceedence identified theplumbing system in the customer’s property asthe cause.

7. AluminiumOne sample showed a level of aluminium abovethe standard. Further sampling showed that thealuminium concentration had returned tonormal.

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Prescribed/Specification Concentration or Values as listed in the Water Supply(Water Quality) Regulations 2000 PARAMETER WHAT IT MEANS PRESCRIBED /SPECIFICATION

CONCENTRATIONOR VALUE

COLOUR (FILTERED) Water should be clear and bright but natural organic matter or pipework corrosion 20 mg/l Pt/Coproducts may occasionally impart a slight tint. The standard is set for reasons ofappearance and requires the water to be virtually colourless.

TURBIDITY The Standard requires that there should be no haziness caused by fine particles. 4 NTU Sometimes minute air bubbles in the water can produce a milky appearance. This clears if the water is left to stand for a few minutes.

ODOUR Specialist tasting panels examine the water for unpleasant taste or odour. These Acceptable to consumers andTASTE standards are set for aesthetic reasons. no abnormal change

HYDROGEN ION (pH) A measure of acidity or alkalinity. Excessively acidic or alkaline water can contribute to Min. 6.5 to max 9.5 corrosion of pipes and fittings.

SULPHATE Dissolves in water after contact with certain mineral deposits. Excess levels can 250 mg SO4/I contribute to corrosion.

SODIUM May be naturally present after passing through certain mineral deposits/rock strata or 200 mg Na/I introduced by some water softening processes. The standard is set well below the level which could affect health.

NITRATE Nitrate arises from the use of fertilizers in agriculture and may be minimised by good 50 mg NO3/I practices and appropriate controls. The standard is set well below concentrations that could be harmful.

NITRITE Nitrite may be associated with nitrate or with the use of ammonia in water disinfection. 0.1 mg NO2/I (WTW) The standard is set well below concentrations that could be harmful. 0.5 mg NO2/I (WSZ)

AMMONIUM May be naturally present in some waters and is not harmful. 0.5 mg NH4/I

TOTAL ORGANIC This parameter assesses the organic content of the water. No significant CARBON increase mg C/I

ALUMINIUM Occurs naturally in many water resources. Aluminium compounds are also used at some 200 μg AI/I water treatment works to remove impurities, but are themselves removed in the process.

IRON Iron may be associated with the corrosion of old iron mains. Iron-based compounds are 200 μg Fe/I also used at some water treatment works to remove impurities, but are themselves removed in the process. The standard has been set for aesthetic reasons as levels persistently above the standard can give rise to discoloured water.

MANGANESE Occurs naturally in many water sources. The standard is set for aesthetic reasons as 50 μg Mn/I black deposits of manganese dioxide can give rise to discoloured water.

COPPER Any significant amount of copper is likely to come from corrosion of customers’ pipes 2.0 mg Cu/I or fittings. Excess amounts can cause a metallic taste.

FLUORIDE Occurs naturally in many water sources. The standard is set to ensure no adverse effects. 1.5 mg F/I Three Valleys Water does not artificially fluoridate the water supplies.

ARSENIC Very low levels of these substances may occur naturally, but higher amounts could be 10 μg As/I CADMIUM associated with industrial pollution. The standards are health related but have a large, 5 μg Cd/I CYANIDE built-in safety factor. 50 μg CN/ICHROMIUM 50 μg Cr/I MERCURY 1 μg Hg/I NICKEL 20 μg Ni/I ANTIMONY 5 μg Sb/I SELENlUM 10 μg Se/I BORON 1.0 mg B/I

Drinking Water Quality StandardsAPPENDIX 1

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PARAMETER WHAT IT MEANS PRESCRIBED /SPECIFICATION CONCENTRATIONOR VALUE

BROMATE Can be associated with industrial pollution or can occur as a by-product of the 10 μg BrO3/I disinfection process.

BENZENE Benzene may be introduced into source water by industrial effluents or 1 μg/I atmospheric pollution.

LEAD Absent in water entering supply but variable concentrations of lead may be found in 25 μg Pb/I water at the customer’s tap in older properties built at a time when lead was commonly used in domestic plumbing systems. The standard recognises that the intake of lead should be minimised for health reasons.

PESTICIDES AND Associated with the use of these substances by agriculture, industry and local 0.1 μg/I individually RELATED authorities. The standards are set well below the levels which might cause O.5 μg/I total PRODUCTS health problems, but levels should be minimised by good practice and appropriate

controls. We measure the wide range of substances that may be present.

POLYCYCLIC Associated with the deterioration of old coal tar linings which were used until the mid 0.1 μg/I AROMATIC 1970's. The standards are set well below the levels of significance to health. HYDROCARBONS (PAHs) BENZO (A) PYRENE 0.010 μg/I

CONDUCTIVITY A measure of the ability of the water to conduct an electric current and therefore a 2500 μS/cm at 20°C measurement of the mineral salts dissolved in the water.

CHLORIDE Occurs naturally in most water sources. Levels above the standard could give rise to 250 mg Cl/I taste issues and contribute to corrosion.

TETRA- The presence of these organic solvents is an indication of industrial pollution. 3 μg/I CHLOROMETHANE TRICHLOROETHENE AND 10 μg/I TETRACHLOROETHENE 1,2 DICHLOROETHANE 3 μg/I

TRIHALOMETHANES THMs are formed by the reaction of chlorine with naturally occurring organic compounds 100 μg/I (THMs) in the water. The standard is set well below the level of significance to health.

TOTAL CHLORINE Sufficient chlorine is added to all supplies to ensure the absence of harmful micro- No specific standard organisms. At the same time we aim to avoid high levels in supply to minimise associated taste and odour.

RADIOACTIVITY: These parameters are measured as part of initial screening for radioactivity in drinking GROSS ALPHA water. Three Valleys Water sources have been assessed as very low risk. 0.1 Bq/I GROSS BETA 1.0 Bq/I TRITIUM 100 Bq/I

COLIFORM BACTERIA These bacteria are widely distributed in the environment and provide a sensitive O per 100 ml measure of microbiological quality. They are removed during the treatment process. However, if any coliform organisms are detected in drinking water immediate action is taken to investigate the source of the bacteria. Nearly all instances of coliforms in

samples taken from customers' taps are due to microbiological growths in the domestic cold tap.

COLONY COUNT A range of harmless bacteria that may be present in water supplies. These are No specific standard22°C monitored to ensure the efficiency of the treatment process and the cleanliness (increasing trendsCOLONY COUNT 37°C of the distribution system. are investigated)

E COLI Bacteria which are indicative of faecal pollution. 0 per 100 ml ENTEROCOCCI 0 per 100 ml CLOSTRIDIUM 0 per 100 ml PERFRINGENS

Drinking Water Quality StandardsAPPENDIX 1

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Undertakings to Improve Treatment WorksTreatment Works Parameter Zones Supplied Action Required Completion Date Status at 31/12/08

North Mymms Bromate Z023 Hatfield/Potters Bar Reduce output from 31/03/2010 Ongoing Z050 Barnet borehole at Essendon Z051 East Barnet and utilise other Z054 Finchley sources

Kensworth Lynch Chlorotoluron Z026 Caddington/ Install treatment 31/03/2008 Completed Eaton Bray Z027 Dunstable

Offley Bottom Nitrate Z032 Hitchin Install treatment 31/03/2010 Ongoing

Water Treatment Works Parameter Action Required Completion Date Status at 31/12/08

Hatfield Bromate Replace borehole 27/06/2008 Completed

UndertakingsAPPENDIX 2

Statements of intentAPPENDIX 3

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Date Area Affected Nature Action Taken

Feb 2008 Woodside, Hatfield Contamination of water supply as a result Non-return valve fitted to the pipe supplyingof backflow from a private supply. the property with the private supply.

June 2008 East & West Horsley Coliforms detected in multiple samples The chlorine residual in the supply to thefollowing a number of burst mains in area was increased until satisfactory samplesthe area. were obtained.

Nov 2008 West London Detection of the pesticide Metaldehyde Enhanced monitoring and participation inat concentrations above 0.1 μg/l in the the Industry group in order to influencewater leaving Iver and Egham WTWs. manufacturers and users of metaldehyde.

Dec 2008 West London Air in water (white) as a result of a The issue with the air compressor was problem with an air compressor at resolved and additional maintenance Iver WTW. checks carried out.

IncidentsAPPENDIX 4

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Water Quality does matterWe do all we can to ensure that water leaving ourmains is safe for you to drink. We realise that from timeto time you may have queries about the taste, smell orappearance of your water so here is some helpfulinformation from the most frequently asked questions.As you can see things that you do in your own propertycan affect your water.

Taste or SmellChlorine Taste

All our water supplies contain a small amount ofchlorine to ensure it remains free from harmfulbacteria and is safe to drink. Ordinarily the amount weadd should not cause any problems with taste andsmell. Chlorine is added continuously at a constant rateand if we have to increase the amount to maintain thestandard of protection, it is done very gradually. Usuallycustomers only notice a difference when they move toan area with a slightly higher chlorine residual. Keepinga jug of fresh tap water in your fridge for a few hourscan help reduce the taste of chlorine.

You may prefer, to use a jug filter or install a permanentcarbon filter on the cold water feed. Please rememberthat when choosing this option you will remove theprotective chlorine residue and if this water is not usedwithin 12 hours it can deteriorate. The most commonproblem with taste and smell arises as a result of thesmall amount of chlorine in the water coming intocontact with either domestic appliances or fittings thatmight cause a noticeable disinfectant taste. The mainexamples are:

Automatic washing machines anddishwashersThe hose used to connect the cold water to theappliance can cause a taste so we recommend that youuse one designed for drinking water purposes (i.e. chlorine resistant). There should also be a non-return valve installed on the connection to prevent anywater lying in the connection hose being drawn back tothe kitchen tap.

Tap and stopcock washersAn antiseptic taste can be caused by the leaching ofcompounds from a washer into the water. The problem

may be linked with the kitchen tap or stopcock and isremedied by renewing the washer.

Mixer tapsMixer taps can contribute to a taste or smell becausethe cold water stands alongside the hot water. Mixertaps also contain a plastic or metal insert wherebacteria can grow. The cold water should be allowed torun before using it for cold or hot water drinks and ifthe tap contains a metal or plastic insert, this should becleaned regularly. Remember, always use water that ismains fed for drinking and cooking purposes and notwater from the hot water system.

KettlesTaste problems can arise from chemical compoundsleaching into the water from components of somekettles. You can check if your kettle is causing the tasteby boiling water in a saucepan and then comparing thetaste. The problem is made worse by re-boiling ortopping up already boiled water in the kettle. You canimprove the taste by ensuring you fill the kettle up withfresh water from the cold tap and by rinsing the kettleeach time before use. If the problem persists, you mayneed to change the kettle.

Other Taste ProblemsNew Copper Piping

Unusual tastes can come from traces of copper fromdomestic plumbing dissolving in water. The problem isusually most apparent after water has been standing inthe pipework for long spells. It may also be evidentwhere there are long runs of copper pipework and insituations in which the water becomes warm. Traces ofcopper in the water are often indicated by a blue-greenstain on scale in the kettle.

Quality QueriesAPPENDIX 5

Try keeping ajug of fresh tap water

in your fridge for a fewhours as a cheaper

alternative tobottled water.

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The taste usually improves with time as a thinprotective film of hardness scale forms inside thecopper pipe. The problem may also be solved by notusing the first-drawn water for drinking.

In situations where the water becomes warm - forexample where the pipe runs closely parallel to centralheating pipes - the affected pipework should be laggedor re-routed.

Plastic Pipe

An occasional problem is the spillage of petrol, diesel orother organic-type chemicals into the soil which canpermeate this type of pipe. This causes a petrol-typetaste in the water. If this occurs the problem can beremedied by removing the contaminated soil andrenewing pipework.

Connections to redundant or infrequently usedpipework

Taste problems can arise by traces of stagnant waterbeing drawn back from a side branch into the mainsfeed to the cold water drinking tap. The problems canbe cured by removing the redundant pipework. Wherea side branch is not often used - such as to an outsidetap - the stagnant water should be removed from timeto time by turning on the tap.

AppearanceNormally your water will look clear and bright with novisible particles but on rare occasions its appearancecould be different, as explained below.

WHITE OR CLOUDY: This can occur due to air in yourwater. To confirm this you can fill a glass with waterand the air will clear from the bottom upwards. Air maybe present in our mains following a burst and repair, orit may be due to a faulty tap. Please do not be alarmed

as it generally clears within one or two hours. If itpersists for longer please let us know. Your water isperfectly safe to drink.

YELLOW, ORANGE OR BROWN: There are many possiblecauses but the most usual reason is the disturbance ofiron deposits in the mains due to a change in thedirection or speed of flow of the water. Changes in flowcan occur for a number of reasons such as a burst on awater main or moving water from one area to anotherto cope with demand for water for firefighting.

We take great care to prevent this and are currentlyundertaking a programme to replace the old cast ironpipes.

Your internal storage tank can also cause discolourationand it is always useful to see whether the problemarises from the mains fed cold water tap (by takingwater from the kitchen tap) or via the storage system(by taking water from a bathroom tap). It may be thatrecent plumbing or water use has mixed up particles inyour water system.

BLUE/BLUE-GREEN: stains on kitchen or bathroomsurfaces, particularly under a dripping tap, may becaused by new or deteriorating copper pipes withinyour own internal plumbing. If you have a watersoftener on your non-drinking water system this canalso contribute to staining under a dripping tap.

BLACK: discolouration of our water is extremely rarebecause it arises as a result of naturally occurringmanganese. It can occur when there is a change in flow,as in 'yellow, orange or brown' section.

WHITE PARTICLES often occur in boiled water becausemost of our water is naturally hard (see next section).These particles are likely to be visible as scale build-upon kettle elements or in hot drinks especially if youhave used a new or recently de-scaled kettle.

Hard and soft waterHARD WATER: The area we supply has 'hard' water. Thehardness occurs naturally and is characterised by thepresence of high levels of calcium and magnesium,which are good for healthy teeth and bones.

De-scaling products can be used to remove any scalethat hard water causes in kettles or in water fittingsbut take care to follow manufacturers’ instructions.

SOFT WATER makes soap and detergents produce foammore easily and feels softer to the touch. If you wouldlike softened water in your home, you can install awater softener. For further information please call us. Ifyou are considering installing a softener always

Alwaysbe aware of the

route that your watertakes once it leaves our net-

work or what could influencethe odour or appearance. If in

doubt, please contact us on

0845 782 3333.

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remember to keep a mains fed tap for cooking anddrinking purposes. If you would like to know thehardness of your water supply, please visit our websiteat www.3valleys.co.uk and follow the water qualitylinks or phone us on 0845 782 3333.

FluorideFluoride can occur naturally in some water supplies butis only present in low levels. We do not add anyadditional fluoride. If you require information aboutlevels in your area please visit our website atwww.3valleys.co.uk and follow the water quality linksor phone us on 0845 782 3333.

LeadThere is no lead in the water that leaves the treatmentworks but if your property is relatively old with leadplumbing material there may be traces of lead in yourdrinking water. You can tell if you have lead piping (onlyused before 1970) because the pipes are a dull greycolour and when scratched reveal a bright silver colour.Even if you have lead pipes the level of lead in the waterwill vary. Higher levels are found when water has been

lying in the pipes for a while e.g. first thing in themorning or on return from holiday. It's worth runningyour tap when you use the water for drinking purposesso that you are drawing fresh water from our mains.

We have installed a treatment process which reducesthe amount of lead that can enter the water supply viadomestic plumbing.

If you decide to replace your part of the lead servicepipe, we will replace our part free of charge. Grantsfrom some Local Authorities may be available to helpyou with the cost.

Protection of your Water SupplyWater companies have special legal powers under theWater Regulations Act to protect water supplies againstcontamination, waste and misuse. We enforce theRegulations, which guard against contamination bypreventing backflow, back-siphonage or interconnectionof water from other sources. Please contact us if you areplanning any plumbing work and would like adviceabout the Regulations.

REFC

PE07

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Three Valleys Water PLCRegistered in England No.2546960Tambin WayHatfieldHertfordshire AL10 9EZ

Tel: 01707 268 111 (main switchboard)Fax: 01707 277 333

www.3valleys.co.uk