The Water Supply (Water Quality) (Amendment) Regulations 2016

New regulation 6A (monitoring: radioactive substances)

3.  After regulation 6 of the 2010 Regulations, insert—

“Monitoring: radioactive substances

6A— (1) A water undertaker must monitor each water supply zone within its area of supply for the parameters contained in the radioactive substances parameters table in accordance with this regulation and Schedule 3A.

(2) In this regulation and Schedule 3A, “the radioactive substances parameters table” means the table in Schedule 2A.

(3) The Welsh Ministers may, by notice to a water undertaker, confirm that they have established (on the basis of representative surveys, monitoring data or other reliable information) that, for a period specified in the notice, one or more of the parameters listed in the radioactive substances parameters table is not likely to be present in a water supply zone for human consumption purposes in concentrations which could exceed the prescribed concentration or value for the relevant parameter in that table.

(4) Where a notice is given to a water undertaker under paragraph (3), the water undertaker is not required to monitor the water supply zone for the parameter (or parameters) during the period specified in the notice.

(5) Where paragraph (3) applies, the Welsh Ministers must communicate the grounds for their decision to the European Commission with the necessary documentation supporting the decision (including the findings of any surveys, monitoring or investigations carried out).

(6) Where a notice has previously been given under paragraph (3) and the Welsh Ministers are no longer satisfied that the levels of radon, tritium or the calculated ID in relation to the water supply zone specified in the notice will remain below the respective parametric values in the radioactive substances parameters table, the Welsh Ministers must inform the water undertaker in writing accordingly, and the exemption under paragraph (4) will no longer apply.

(7) In case of naturally occurring radionuclides, where previous monitoring results show that the concentration of radionuclides in the supply is stable, the minimum sampling and analysis frequencies are to be decided by the Welsh Ministers, and confirmed by notice in writing to the water undertaker, taking into consideration the risk to human health.

(8) The additional requirements in Schedule 5 apply to monitoring for compliance with the indicative dose parameter.”