The Private Water Supplies Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2017

Monitoring programmes

1.—(1) A monitoring programme for a private water supply established under regulation 9 must—

(a) verify that—

(i) the measures in place to control risks to human health throughout the water supply chain (from the catchment area through abstraction, treatment and storage to distribution) are working effectively; and

(ii) water at the point of compliance is wholesome;

(b) subject to regulation 11, provide information on the quality of water supplied for human consumption to—

(i) demonstrate whether or not the water complies with prescribed concentrations and values for parameters in Schedule 1;

(ii) determine the organoleptic and microbiological quality of the water; and

(iii) establish the effectiveness of the treatment of the water, particularly of disinfection where it is used.

(c) identify the most appropriate means of mitigating any risk to human health.

(d) have regard to Schedule 3.

(2) A monitoring programme must consist of either—

(a) the collection and analysis of discrete water samples; or

(b) measurement recorded by a continuous monitoring process,

or a combination of both of the methods described in sub-paragraphs (a) and (b).

(3) In addition, monitoring programmes may consist of—

(a) inspections of records of the functionality and maintenance status of equipment; and

(b) inspections of the catchment area, water abstraction, treatment, storage and distribution infrastructure.

(4) The monitoring programme may be based on the findings of a risk assessment as set out in regulation 7.

(5) When choosing appropriate parameters and other micro-organisms, parasites or substances for monitoring programmes, local conditions for each private water supply system must be taken into consideration.