Energy & Utilities UK-wide

Set up and run a safe water supply operation

Every water collection, treatment and supply business must protect its workers and others affected by the work. This guide covers the workplace health and safety, fire safety, employers' liability insurance, equality and data protection duties that apply before you get into the sector-specific water industry regulatory requirements.

Guide summary

Assess risks for every activity at your water business, including confined spaces, chemical handling and lone working. Get employers' liability insurance of at least £5 million if you employ anyone. Do not discriminate against workers or customers based on the nine protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010.

  • Risk-assess each activity – confined spaces, chemicals, lone working
  • Put safe systems, training and supervision in place
  • Assess fire risk at treatment works, pumping stations and offices
  • Get employers' liability insurance – minimum £5 million cover
  • Display insurance certificate or keep it available electronically
  • Penalty for no insurance: £2,500 per day
  • Do not discriminate against any of the nine protected characteristics
  • Set up a priority services register for vulnerable customers
On this page

Related guides in Compliance & Legal

Water collection, treatment and supply carries acute occupational risks — confined spaces in treatment tanks and service reservoirs, chemical dosing with chlorine and coagulants, biological hazards from raw water, and lone working at remote abstraction and pumping sites. Your general duty under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 is to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of your employees and others affected by the work. Workplace health and safety is enforced by the Health and Safety Executive in Great Britain and by HSENI in Northern Ireland.

A. Health and safety at work

Risk-assess every activity — confined-space entry, chemical handling, water-treatment plant operations, lone working at remote sites — and put safe systems of work, training and supervision in place. The Confined Spaces Regulations 1997 and COSHH 2002 bite heavily in this sector.

B. Fire safety

Assess fire risk at treatment works, pumping stations and office premises. In England and Wales the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 applies. In Scotland it is the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005. In Northern Ireland it is the Fire and Rescue Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006. Chemical stores (chlorine, coagulants) need specific fire-risk attention.

C. Employers' liability insurance

Hold at least £5 million of employers' liability insurance once you employ anyone. Display the certificate or make it available electronically.

D. Equality

Do not discriminate across the nine protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010 — in employment and in the provision of water services to the public, including priority-services registers for vulnerable customers. In Northern Ireland, separate equality law is enforced by the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland.

E. Data protection

Comply with the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018. Water undertakers process extensive customer billing and metering personal data. Register with the ICO and pay the data protection fee unless specifically exempt.

  1. 1

    1. Risk-assess your operations and put safe systems of work in place

    Cover confined-space entry, chemical dosing, water-treatment processes and lone working at remote sites.

  2. 2

    2. Assess fire risk at treatment works, pumping stations and offices

    Follow the fire-safety regime for your nation.

  3. 3

    3. Get employers' liability insurance

    Minimum £5 million cover once you employ anyone.

  4. 4

    4. Meet your equality and data protection duties

    Do not discriminate. Register with the ICO.

What to do next

With the workplace foundations in place, work through your water industry regulatory duties in meet your water industry regulatory duties. Start from the router if you are not sure which guides apply to you.