Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 1989 (England and Wales)

The Water Supply Water Quality Regulations 1989 (SI No. 1147) are regulations imposed on the England and Wales Water industry by Statutory Instrument. The regulations were signed jointly by Peter Walker, Secretary of State for Wales and Michael Howard who, as Minister for Water and Planning, was responsible for implementing water privatization in England and Wales during 1988/89.

Schedule 2 of the regulations prescribes concentrations for substances that affect wholesomeness.

Wholesomeness

Table A

Table A Parameters	Units of Measurement	Value (Max)
Aluminium	μg Al/litre (l)	200
Ammonium (ammonia and ammonium ions)	mg NH4/litre	0.5
Colour	mg/1 Pt/Co scale	20
Copper	μg Cu/l	3000
Dissolved or emulsified hydrocarbons ( extract with petroleum ether); mineral oils	μg/l	10
Dry residues	mg/l	1500 dry at 180 °C
Fluoride	μg F/l	1500
Hydrogen ion	pH value	9.5 - 5.5(min)
Iron	μg Fe/l	200
Kjeldahl nitrogen	mg N/l	1
Magnesium	mg Mg/l	50
Manganese	μg Mn/l	50
Nitrate	mg NO3/litre	50
Nitrite	mg NO2/litre	0.1
Odour (including hydrogen sulphide)	Dilution number	3 at 25 °C
Oxidizability (permanganate value)	mg O2/litre	5
Phenols	μg C6H5OH/litre	0.5
Phosphorus	μg P/l	2200
Potassium	mg K/l	12
Silver	μg Ag/l	10 (80 If used in treatment process)
Sodium	mg Na/l	150(*)
Sulphate	mg SO4/litre	250
Surfactants	μg/l (as lauryl sulphate)	200
Taste	Dilution number	3 at 25 °C
Temperature	°C	25
Total organic carbon	mg C/l	No higher than normal
Turbidity (including suspended solids)	Formazin turbidity units	4
Zinc	μg Zn/l	5000

Table B

Table B Parameters	Units of Measurement	Value (Max)
Antimony	μg Sb/l	10
Arsenic	μg As/l	50
Cadmium	μg Cd/l	5
Cyanide	μg CN/l	50
Chromium	μg Cr/l	50
Mercury	μg Hg/l	1
Nickel	μg Ni/l	50
Lead	μg Pb/l	25
Pesticides (individual substances)	μg/l	0.1
Pesticides (total substances)	μg/l	0.5
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(i)	μg/l	0.2
Selenium	μg Se/l	10

(i)The sum of the detected concentrations of fluoranthene, benzo 3.4 fluoranthene, benzo 11.12 fluoranthene, benzo 3.4 pyrene, benzo 1.12 perylene and indeno (1,2,3-cd) pyrene.

Table C

Table C Parameters	Units of Measurement	Value (Max)
Total coliforms	number/100 ml	0
Faecal coliforms	number/100 ml	0
Faecal streptococci	number/100 ml	0
Sulphite-reducing clostridia	number/20 ml	<=1(ii)
Colony counts	number/1 ml at 22 °C or 37 °C	No significant increase over that normally observed

Table D

Table D Parameters	Units of Measurement	Value (Max)
Barium	μg Ba/l	1000
Benzo 3,4 pyrene	ng/l	10
Boron	μg B/l	2000
Calcium	mg Ca/l	250
Chloride	mg Cl/l	400
Conductivity	μS/cm	1500 at 20 °C
Substances extractable in chloroform	mg/l dry residue	1
Tetrachloroethene	μg/l	10
Tetrachloromethane	μg/l	3
Trichloroethene	μg/l	30

Table E

Table E Parameters	Units of Measurement	Value (Min)
Total hardness	mg Ca/l	60
Alkalinity	mg HCO3/ litre	30

See also

Other Articles

1. List of Statutory Instruments of the United Kingdom, 1989
2. Clean Water Act
3. Drinking water quality standards
4. Hard Water
5. Soft Water
6. Water quality
7. Water softener
8. Water treatment
9. Water purification

External

1. Legislation.gov.uk
2. UK Statutory Instruments and Explanatory Memorandum