| Guvnor

Enforced by: Ofwat, DWI
Status: In Force
Penalty ceiling: Prosecution 1 of 28 obligations carry an unlimited fine. 27 have no criminal penalty — flagged in the list below.

Does it bind you?

Business-side roles with duties under this instrument.

Licence Holder12 Statutory Undertaker7 Distributor6 Manufacturer1

Plus 2 duties on the regulator, Crown ministers and public bodies — folded into the section list below.

Other Acts binding the same actors

If a role above is yours, these are the other instruments that most often bind it.

Licence Holder — also bound by 225 other Acts

Petroleum (Current Model Clauses) Order 1999 318 duties

The Petroleum Licensing (Exploration and Production) (Seaward and Landward Areas) Regulations 2004 123 duties

Human Medicines Regulations 2012 83 duties

Space Industry Regulations 2021 68 duties

The Petroleum (Production) (Landward Areas) Regulations 1991 65 duties

Statutory Undertaker — also bound by 179 other Acts

The Cory Decarbonisation Project Order 2025 120 duties

The Keadby 3 (Carbon Capture Equipped Gas Fired Generating Station) Order 2022 119 duties

Water Industry Act 1991 53 duties

Water and Sewerage Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 44 duties

The Utilities Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2016 42 duties

Distributor — also bound by 182 other Acts

UK REACH Regulation (retained EU law) 44 duties

The Marketing of Fruit Plant and Propagating Material (England) Regulations 2017 28 duties

The Marketing of Fruit Plant and Propagating Material (Wales) Regulations 2017 26 duties

The Marketing of Fruit Plant and Propagating Material Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2017 25 duties

Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations 2002 21 duties

Manufacturer — also bound by 502 other Acts

Pressure Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016 93 duties

Measuring Instruments Regulations 2016 85 duties

Non-Automatic Weighing Instruments Regulations 2016 78 duties

Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2017/654 of 19 December 2016 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2016/1628 of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to technical and general requirements relating to emission limits and type-approval for internal combustion engines for non-road mobile machinery 76 duties

Human Medicines Regulations 2012 75 duties

What it requires

Regulations creating concrete business duties or carrying penalties, grouped as the instrument is structured. Titles link to the source text — blue means you’re leaving for legislation.gov.uk.

Part 1

General

0 of 2 sections shown

2 other sections in this Part — procedural and definitional

s.001 Citation, commencement and application

s.002 Interpretation

Part 2

Water supply zones

1 of 1 section shown

s.003 Water supply zones Regulated

Designate water supply zones annually with uniform water qualityStatutory Undertaker

Part 3

Wholesomeness

1 of 1 section shown

s.004 Wholesomeness Regulated

Ensure water supplied for human consumption is wholesomeManufacturer

Part 4

Monitoring of water supplies

5 of 6 sections shown

s.006 Monitoring: general provisions Regulated

Take and analyse water samples across each supply zoneStatutory Undertaker

s.007 Sampling points Regulated

Select water sampling points at randomStatutory Undertaker

s.008 Authorisation of supply points Regulated

Notify Secretary of State if authorised sampling data may be unreliableStatutory Undertaker

s.009 Numbers of samples Regulated

Take standard number of water samples each year for analysisStatutory Undertaker

s.010 Sampling: further provisions Regulated

Sample water when suspecting unwholesome supplyDistributor

1 other section in this Part — procedural and definitional

s.005 Interpretation and application of Part 4

Part 5

Monitoring – additional provisions

5 of 6 sections shown

s.012 Sampling for particular substances and parameters Regulated

Take and analyse minimum water samples from supply zonesStatutory Undertaker

s.013 Sampling at treatment works Regulated

Take and test water samples at treatment works annuallyLicence Holder

s.014 Sampling at service reservoirs Regulated

Take weekly water samples at each service reservoirLicence Holder

s.015 Sampling: new sources Regulated

Sample and test water from new or reactivated sources before supplyLicence Holder

s.016 Collection and analysis of samples Regulated

Collect, handle, store and analyse water samples to required standardsLicence Holder

1 other section in this Part — procedural and definitional

s.011 Interpretation of Part 5

Part 6

Drinking water protected areas

0 of 1 section shown

1 other section in this Part — procedural and definitional

s.017 Drinking water abstraction points: monitoring sites

Part 7

Investigations, authorisation of departures and remedial action

6 of 8 sections shown

s.018 Investigations: Schedule 1 parameters Regulated

Investigate and report water quality failures to authorities and consumersLicence Holder

s.019 Investigations: indicator parameters Regulated

Investigate and report failures to meet indicator parameter specificationsLicence Holder

s.020 Action by the Secretary of State Regulated

Comply with Secretary of State notices on water quality dangersDistributor

s.021 Failure attributable to domestic distribution system where water is supplied to the public Regulated

Water undertaker must take corrective steps when served a notice by the Secretary of StateLicence Holder

s.022 Authorisation of temporary supply of water that is not wholesome Regulated

Apply to Secretary of State for temporary water quality departure with full supporting informationLicence Holder

s.025 Revocation and variation of authorisations Regulated

Notify Secretary of State when departure circumstances endDistributor

2 other sections in this Part — procedural and definitional

s.023 Authorisations: terms and conditions

s.024 Publicity for authorisations

Part 8

Water treatment

5 of 8 sections shown

s.026 Disinfection and other treatment arrangements Prosecution

Disinfect water and operate adequate treatment before supplying itLicence Holder

Unlimited fine

s.027 Risk assessment Regulated

Carry out and continuously review risk assessments of water treatment works and supply systemsLicence Holder

s.029 Water treatment to minimise contamination from pipes Regulated

Treat water to minimise copper and lead contamination from pipesDistributor

s.030 Replacement of lead pipes Regulated

Replace your share of lead pipes when a property owner requests itDistributor

s.031 Application and introduction of substances and products Regulated

Do not add substances or products to drinking water without approval or standards complianceLicence Holder

3 other sections in this Part — procedural and definitional

s.028 Procedure following risk assessment and prohibition of supply

s.032 Use of processes

s.033 Offences

Part 9

Records and information

2 of 2 sections shown

s.034 Maintenance of records Regulated

Maintain detailed records for each water supply zoneLicence Holder

s.035 Provision of information Regulated

Provide water quality records on request and notify authorities of health risk eventsDistributor

Part 10

Functions of local authorities in relation to water quality

1 of 2 sections shown

s.037 Duties of local authorities: supplementary provision Regulated

Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator

Local authorities must arrange water quality notifications and samplingLocal authority

1 other section in this Part — procedural and definitional

s.036 Application and interpretation of this Part

Part 11

Enforcement

0 of 1 section shown

1 other section in this Part — procedural and definitional

s.038 Contraventions by relevant suppliers

Part 12

Review

1 of 2 sections shown

s.039 Reporting Regulated

Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator

Secretary of State must publish triennial report on drinking water qualityCrown / Minister / Government department

1 other section in this Part — procedural and definitional

s.039 Review

Part 13

Amendments and revocations

0 of 1 section shown

1 other section in this Part — procedural and definitional

s.040 Amendments and revocations

Schedules

1 of 4 shown

s.sch004 Screening for certain radionuclides or for an individual radionuclide Regulated

Carry out additional radionuclide analysis when screening thresholds are exceededStatutory Undertaker

3 other schedules

s.sch004 Monitoring for compliance with the ID

s.sch004 Screening strategies for gross alpha activity and gross beta activity

s.sch004 Calculation of the ID

3 other provisions

s.para.42 Annual sampling frequencies for Group A4 parameters: water supply zones

s.para.43 For the purposes of this table, where the population is...

s.para.44 Annual sampling frequencies for Group A2 parameters: treatment works or supply points

Help complying

Guvnor’s practical routes through this instrument.

2 more guides that reference this instrument

Meet your water industry regulatory duties Water supply: compliance checklist

Duty extraction and severity labels are Guvnor’s analysis of the instrument, not the instrument itself. Always verify against the linked source text.

Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2016

Does it bind you?

Other Acts binding the same actors

What it requires

General

Water supply zones

Wholesomeness

Monitoring of water supplies

Monitoring – additional provisions

Drinking water protected areas

Investigations, authorisation of departures and remedial action

Water treatment

Records and information

Functions of local authorities in relation to water quality

Enforcement

Review

Amendments and revocations

Schedules

Help complying