Appendix The Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations ...

1 Appendix The Water Supply ( Water Fittings) Regulations & Backflow Protection The Water Supply ( Water Fittings) Regulations and their Scottish and Irish equivalents , detail requirements for the design, installation and maintenance of plumbing systems, Water fittings and Water -using appliances. Their purpose is to prevent waste, misuse, undue consumption or erroneous measurement of Water and most importantly to prevent contamination of drinking Water . The Regulations cannot be applied retrospectively if a Water fitting was installed in compliance with the Byelaws in force at the time.

2 However if a Water supplier considers a Water fitting poses a significant risk of contamination or waste Water they can insist on improvements using the Water Industry Acts. Backflow can occur when pressure differentials result in mains Water flowing in the opposite direction to that intended. In these circumstances drinking Water and the mains Supply can become contaminated. fitting backflow protection devices provides a solution to the issue and is a legal requirement in the UK. The type of backflow protection required is a function of the degree of contamination defined in 5 Fluid Categories. The following definitions are used.

3 Fluid Category 1 Wholesome Water supplied by a Water undertaker (the cold mains Supply ) Fluid Category 2 Water in fluid category 1 whose aesthetic quality is impaired owing to a change in temperature or the presence of substances causing a change in taste, odour or appearance Fluid Category 3 Fluid which represents a slight health hazard because of the concentration of substances of low toxicity Fluid Category 4 Fluid which represents a significant health hazard because of the concentration of toxic substances Mechanical devices including single and double check valves and Reduced Pressure Zone (RPZ) valves provide backflow protection against contamination from fluids in Categories 1-4.

4 Backflow protection for Fluid Category 5 risks require a physical air gap such as those found at sinks (where the air gap is provided by height of an outlet above the sink) various cold Water tank installations which physically separate Water from the incoming main from Water supplied for other purposes and tundishes which provide air gap protection to Water heater pressure release pipework and other devices which discharge to drain. Common examples of fitting backflow protection devices include: External taps: A double check valve should be fitted to the Supply pipework or incorporated in the tap body. Hot & cold drinks machines: fitting double check valves provides backflow protection for fluid category 2 liquids.

5 Washing machines and dishwashers: fitting double check valves provides protection against taste or odor issues caused by flexible hoses connected to the mains Supply . Removing deadlegs and pipework blind ends is a required protection measure as is removing flexible filling loops providing mains Water top up to central heating systems when not in use. Backflow protection is of even greater importance when mains protection is required from contaminated Water produced for example in industrial processes, food processing plants, hospitals and dentistry. Further information on the subject is available on the Water Regulation Advisory Scheme (WRAS) website.

6 WRAS have also released a video describing the subject and available on YouTube Fluid Category 5 Fluid representing a serious health hazard because of the concentration of pathogenic organisms, radioactive or very toxic substances Appendix United Kingdom Water Suppliers Contact Information Key AFW Affinity Water BRL Bristol Water CHL Cholderton & District Water DVW Dee Valley Water ESK Essex & Suffolk (part of Northumbrian Water ) HPL Hartlepool (part of Anglian Water ) PRT Portsmouth Water SBW Sembcorp Bournemouth Water SES Sutton & East Surrey Water SEW South East Water SSC South Staffs Water There are a number of other companies who provide regulated Water and sewerage services whose areas are too small to show on this map.

7 They are: Albion Water Albion Water Ltd Head Office Address: Harpenden Hall Southdown Road Harpenden Herts AL5 1TE Phone: +44(0)1582 767720 Independent Water Networks Independent Water Networks Ltd Head Office Address: Driscoll 2 Ellen Street Cardiff, CF10 4BP Phone: +44 (0)845 055 6196 SSE Water SSE Water Ltd Head Office Address: 55 Vastern Road Reading RG1 8BU Phone: +44 (0)118 958 0100 Fax: +44 (0)118 953 4028 Peel Water Networks Peel Water Networks Peel Dome The Trafford Centre M17 8PL Phone: 0161 629 8200 Fax: 0161 629 8332 Veolia Water Projects Veolia Water Projects Kings Place 90 York Way Fifth Floor London N1 9AG General enquiries: 0207 843 8500 Fax: 0207 843 8560 Water companies' contact details Affinity Water (formerly Three Valleys, Tendring Hundred, Folkestone & Dover, Veolia Central, Veolia East, Veolia Southeast) Head Office Tamblin Way Hatfield Hertfordshire AL10 9EZ Phone: +44(0)1707 268 111 Fax: +44(0)1707 277 333 Affinity Water (East region) Mill Hill Manningtree Essex CO11 2AZ General and Billing Enquiries 0845 1489288 Payment Helpline 0845 1482911 Emergency?

8 ? 0845 1489299 Fax: +44(0)1206 399 210 Affinity Water (Southeast region) Head Office Address: Cherry Garden Lane Folkestone Kent CT19 4QB Phone: +44(0)1303 298 800 Fax: +44(0)1303 276 712 Anglian Water (including Hartlepool) Anglian Water Services Ltd Head Office Address: Lancaster House Lancaster Way Ermine Business Park Huntingdon PE29 6YJ Phone: +44 (0)1480 323 000 Fax: +44 (0)1480 323 115 Bristol Water Bristol Water plc Head Office Address: PO Box 218 Bridgwater Road Bristol BS99 7AU Phone: +44(0)117 966 5881 Fax: +44(0)117 963 4576 Cholderton & District Cholderton & District Water Company Ltd Head Office Address: Estate Office Cholderton Salisbury Wiltshire SP4 0DR Phone: +44(0)1980 629 203 Fax: +44(0)1980 629 307 Dee Valley Dee Valley Water plc Head Office Address: Packsaddle Wrexham Road Rhostyllen Wrexham Clwyd North Wales LL14 4EH Phone: +44(0)1978 846 946 Fax: +44(0)1978 846 888 Dwr Cymru Dwr Cymru Cyfyngedig (Welsh Water ) Head Office Address: Pentwyn Road Nelson Treharris Mid Glamorgan CF46 6LY Phone: +44(0)1443 452 300 Fax: +44(0)1443 452 323 Northumbrian Water (including Essex & Suffolk) Northumbrian Water Ltd Head Office Address: Abbey Road Pity Me Durham DH1 5FJ Phone: +44(0)8706 084820 Fax.

9 +44(0)191 384 1920 Portsmouth Portsmouth Water plc Head Office Address: PO Box 8 West Street Havant Hants PO9 1LG Phone: +44(0)23 9249 9888 Fax: +44(0)23 9245 3632 Sembcorp Bournemouth Water Sembcorp Bournemouth Water Ltd (formerly Bournemouth & West Hampshire Water plc) Head Office Address: George Jessel House Francis Avenue Bournemouth BH11 8NX Phone: +44(0)1202 591 111 Fax: +44(0)1202 597 022 Severn Trent Water Severn Trent Water Ltd Severn Trent Water Severn Trent Centre 2 St Johns Street Coventry CV1 2LZ Phone: +44(0)24 7771 5000 South East Water South East Water Ltd Head Office Address: Rocfort Road Snodland Kent ME6 5AH Phone: +44(0)333 000 0001 Fax: +44 (0) 1634 242 764 Southern Water Southern Water Services Ltd Head Office Address: Southern House Yeoman Road Worthing Sussex BN13 3NX Phone: +44(0)1903 264 444 Fax: +44(0)1903 262 185 South Staffs Water South Staffordshire Water plc Head Office Address: Green Lane Walsall West Midlands WS2 7PD Phone: +44(0)1922 638 282 Fax: +44(0)1922 723 631 Cambridge region: 90 Fulbourn Road Cambridge, CB1 9JN Phone: +44(0) 1223 706050 Fax: +44(0)1223 214 052 South West Water South West Water Ltd Head Office Address: Peninsula House Rydon Lane Exeter EX2 7HR Phone: +44(0)1392 446 688 Fax.

10 +44(0)1392 434 966 Sutton & East Surrey Sutton & East Surrey Water plc Head Office Address: London Road Redhill Surrey RH1 1LJ Phone: +44(0)1737 772 000 Fax: +44(0)1737 766 807 Thames Water Thames Water Utilities Ltd Head Office Address: Clearwater Court Vastern Road Reading RG1 8DB Phone: 0845 9200 888 Fax: +44(0)1793 424 291 United Utilities United Utilities Water plc Head Office Address: Haweswater House Lingley Mere Business Park Lingley Green Avenue Great Sankey Warrington WA5 3LP Phone: See for phone numbers Fax: +44(0)1925 237 073 Wessex Water Wessex Water Services Ltd Head Office Address: Claverton Down Road Claverton Down Bath BA2 7WW Phone: +44(0)1225 526 000 Fax: +44(0)1225 528 000 Yorkshire Water Yorkshire Water Services Ltd Head Office Address: Western House Western Way Bradford BD6 2LZ Phone: +44(0)1274 691 111 Fax: +44(0)1274 604 764 Scottish Water Head Office Address: Castle House 6 Castle Drive Carnegie Campus Dunfermline KY11 8GG Phone: +44(0)800 0778 778 Northern Ireland Water Head Office Address: Westland House 40 Old Westland Road Belfast BT14 6TE Phone: +44(0)8457 440088