Testing private water supplies

A private water supply is one not directly provided by a licensed water company, like Severn Trent or South Staffs Water. They are often from wells, springs and boreholes.

The Private Water Supplies Regulations 2009 ensure that these supplies are safe. Let us know if you want to get private water supply tested.

Learn more about private water supplies on The Drinking Water Inspectorate's site.

Types of private water supplies

Private water supplies include:

• a single domestic property that supplies one home
• a small supply supplies two or more homes, and less than 50 people a day
• a large supply is for either commercial or public uses (like hotels, village halls or nursing homes) or domestic supplies for more than 50 people a day
• a private distribution network is water that is further distributed from a licensed water company. Distribution networks can include caravan parks, large industrial estates or country estates. If water is further distributed by tanker, this is also considered a network

How often we test your water supply

Walsall Council is not currently aware of any premises in the area that use private water supplies for their drinking water.

If you are located in Walsall and do use a private water supply, please contact us and we will arrange to have it assessed and tested.

We test small supplies at least once every five years, possibly more often.

We test large supplies at least twice a year. We test private distribution networks based on an initial risk assessment.

Charges

We can charge to cover the costs of testing and monitoring these supplies. We base these charges on guidance in the Private Water Supplies Regulations 2009.

Contact us

We are available if you have any questions or worries about a private water supply.

Contact us about a private water supply.