Drinking water is water that is safe to drink or to use for food preparation.
Most households and businesses will have access to drinking water from a mains water supply.
A private water supply is one which is not provided by a water company. We are responsible for the regulation of private water supplies.
On this page:
If you pay your water rates to a statutory provider, you can contact them using the details below.
Phone: 0345 600 4600
Email: operational.enquiries@wessexwater.co.uk
Visit the Wessex Water website.
Phone: 0800 692 0692 (24 hours)
Email: leakstoppers@wessexwater.co.uk
Report a leak via online form.
Phone: 0800 820999 (freephone) or 0330 3030146 (local call charge)
Visit the Southern Water website.
Phone: 0330 3030368 (emergencies)
Report a leak via online form.
Phone: 01202 590059
Email: customerservice@bournemouthwater.co.uk
Visit the Bournemouth Water website.
Phone: 0800 5878 979
Report a leak via online form.
For general water quality enquiries, or where a water company does not resolve a problem with drinking water quality, contact the Drinking Water Inspectorate.
Phone: 0300 068 6400
Email: dwi.enquiries@defra.gsi.gov.uk
Drinking Water Inspectorate
Area 7e
9 Millbank c/o Nobel House
17 Smith Square
London
SW1P 3JR
The office is staffed Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm, except for bank holidays.
Most private water supplies are in rural locations and are from wells, boreholes, springs or streams. Approximately one per cent of the population in England and Wales has a private water supply to their homes.
The Private Water Supplies Regulations 2018 (Amendment) Regulations set out standards for the quality of the water and placed a duty on us to sample and risk assess these supplies.
The person responsible for a private water supply is called the 'relevant person', although there may be more than one. A relevant person is defined in the Water Industry Act 1991 as:
Private water supplies are categorised into four groups:
The regulations require us to carry out a risk assessment of Regulations 8, 9 and 10 private water supplies at least every five years.
This involves surveying the supply to identify the risks (potential failures of standards and risks to human health) and to take action to control those risks.
The regulations stipulate how frequently and for which parameters each category of private water supply will be sampled, as detailed below.
All quality failures must be investigated immediately, to determine the cause of the failure and whether it was caused by the condition of the distribution system.
We must require remedial action, and will prohibit or restrict the use of water if it could be harmful to health.
Where appropriate, notices will be served to improve, restrict or prohibit unwholesome supplies.
Failure to comply with the notices may result in either works in default or prosecution in a Magistrates Court.
The regulations make provisions for local authorities to charge fees to the relevant person(s) for conducting duties under these regulations.
You can contact us regarding drinking water using the details below.
Email: eandr@nfdc.gov.uk
Phone: 02380 285411
Environmental Health
Food Safety Team
Appletree Court
Beaulieu Road
Lyndhurst
SO43 7PA
Our office hours are:
Monday to Thursday: 8.45am to 5.15pm
Friday: 8.45am to 4.45pm