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Enforcement of Environmental Regulations.....?
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#1 Posted : 07 May 2008 09:59:00(UTC)
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Posted By Ian_P
Good day all,

I am after help / advice from the more environmentally minded ones of you, in a subject that is by no means my area of expertise.

We have had a recent visit by the Water Fittings Section of United Utilities. They conducted an inspection assessing us against the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999. As a result, they have left us with a list of corrective action and strict timescales for compliance.

Now........not that I disagree with the action that they have raised, (in fact some of it makes sense in a safety way - think legionella) but what I want to know is what enforcement powers have United Utilities and what role are they playing in these inspections?

I thought that enforcement of environmental law lay firmly with the Environment Agency. Are UU working on behalf of them or is this.. (here comes the cynical part)....a money making scheme to get us to employ UU to carry out remedial work, much of which is described as 'specialist' in the report.

Over to you my Green friends.

Ian
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#2 Posted : 07 May 2008 10:31:00(UTC)
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Posted By Martin Hartland
Ian

If United Utilities are your water supplier then they are also your enforcing authority for the Water Fittings Regs. Not all environmental laws and regulations are enforced by the EA, if only it were that simple!
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#3 Posted : 07 May 2008 11:33:00(UTC)
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Posted By Robert K Lewis
The regulations are under the Water Industry Act 1991 and thus are not strictly environmental legislation although they have an environmental implication in part. The prime purpose is however health and safety - now there is a thought!!!

Bob :-)
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#4 Posted : 07 May 2008 13:49:00(UTC)
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Posted By Fred Pratley
We recently had a similar inspection by our local water supplier and the timescale they set were quite reasonable.

Most work should be within the expertise of any half decent plumber.

Can you supply an example of what they call "specialist" work. If its CORGI work, then fair enough, but most good plumbers are CORGI registered.

Also, the inspection is carried out on your existing system and will only look at bringing it into regualtion. It won't mention alternative solutions that you could use.
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#5 Posted : 07 May 2008 15:01:00(UTC)
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Posted By Ian_P
Cheers for your responses folks,

We are going to undertake the reccomended action however I am still unclear over the enforcement powers of United Utilities.

Are they really an enforcing authority with prosecution & penalitive powers or is it a case of 'do this or we'll cut your supply off'

The cynisim in my post probably comes from the threat that they threaten to charge us "re-inspection fees" if action is not cleared within the given timescales.
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#6 Posted : 07 May 2008 15:14:00(UTC)
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Posted By Kenneth Patrick
Don't be cynical just read the Regulation:

Inspections, measurements and tests
9. Any person designated in writing-
(a) for the purposes of section 74(4) or 170(3), by a water undertaker, or
(b) for the purposes of section 84(2), by any local authority,

may carry out such inspections, measurements and tests on premises entered by that person or on water fittings or other articles found on any such premises, and take away such samples of water or of any land, and such water fittings and other articles, as that person may consider necessary for the purposes for which those premises were entered.

Enforcement
10. - (1) A water undertaker shall enforce the requirements of these Regulations in relation to the area for which it holds an appointment under Part I of the Act.
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#7 Posted : 07 May 2008 15:15:00(UTC)
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Posted By Jay Joshi
Refer to:-

http://www.uk-legislatio...k/si/si1999/19991148.htm


http://www.defra.gov.uk/...ustry/wsregs99/index.htm


http://www.wras.co.uk/Regulations_Default.asp

Enforcement

The Government requires water suppliers to enforce the regulations.

Water Suppliers can provide copies of their Codes of Practice on Enforcement.

Wter suppliers will undertake inspections of new and existing installations to check that the regulations are being met.

Where breaches of the regulations are found, the water supplier will require them to be remedied as soon as practicable.

Where breaches pose a risk to health, the water supply to the premises may be disconnected immediately to protect the health of occupants or others fed from the same public supply.

It is a criminal offence to breach the regulations and offenders may face prosecution.
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#8 Posted : 08 May 2008 09:44:00(UTC)
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Posted By Ian_P
Cheers,

That's what I was after.

Best Regards,
Ian
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