DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT
WATER (JERSEY) LAW 1972
ARTICLE 10 – DUTY TO MONITOR
(Public)
Purpose of the Report
The Minister for the Environment (The Minister) is requested to:
- Approve the proposed monitoring programme of treated water for 2017 that was submitted by The Jersey New Waterworks Company Limited (Jersey Water).
Background
Under Article 10(4) of the Water (Jersey) Law, 1972 as Amended, Jersey Water is required to submit its monitoring programme for treated water each year for the approval by The Minister.
Discussion
The monitoring programme submitted has been reviewed by the Department of the Environment and is deemed fit for purpose.
A copy of the proposed monitoring schedule for 2017 is attached to this report.
The monitoring programme is based on best practice in England and Wales in accordance with The Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2000 (England and Wales).
Jersey Water continues to move towards a targeted and cost-effective risk-based approach to its monitoring programme; whereby the sampling frequency, location and the determinants sampled is based on a thorough examination of use (likely occurrence within Jersey Waters) and risk to the water supply/consumer.
This year, Jersey Water have undertaken a comprehensive assessment of the risks of pesticide contamination to water supplies from those products imported and used in the Island. This has led to a bespoke monitoring programme which monitors for, where there is an accredited methodology, those pesticides in raw waters and at the treatment works. In instances where there is not an accredited analytical method for a new pesticide available, the Company will look at surrogate pesticides which behave in the same way, and investigate and work with UK laboratories to develop a methodology.
Jersey Water proposes the following changes for its 2017 monitoring schedule:
- Enterococci will now be measured at check monitoring levels in Supply Zones in addition to coliforms and E-coli as it is more indicative of faecal pollution.
- Pesticides monitoring will be undertaken at the treatment works and not in the supply zone. This will allow for more concentrated monitoring to be undertaken, for more substances on a more frequent basis. If any breaches are recorded during monitoring, sampling of the affected supply zone will be undertaken.
- Cyanide will be included at check monitoring frequency as a blunt test to detect pesticides that contain a cyanide group in their chemical structure that would otherwise go undetected.
- Westmount and Les Platons supply consumers prior to arriving at the sites so will be referred to as service reservoirs rather than supply points and be sampled as such.
- Using the pesticide import data and information gained from GCMS semi-quantitative scan results, a risk assessment has been carried out by Jersey Water to highlight potential threats to the water supply. This, along with what analyses are available from UK water accredited laboratories, has informed Jersey Water’s list of pesticides to be monitored. The main group of pesticides will be monitored weekly throughout 2017. A separate group of pesticides are to be analysed 16 times during 2017, targeted to the spring growing season and the autumn. This represents a two fold increase in analysis above the England and Wales sampling frequency previously followed.
The proposed monitoring schedule is appended to this report.
Recommendation
- The Minister approves the proposed monitoring programme submitted by Jersey Water for the calendar year 2017.
ii. Notify Jersey Water confirming approval of the monitoring programme for 2017.
Written by: Head of Water Resource Management & Regulation, Environment Department
Approved by: Director of Environmental Protection
Attachments:
Proposed Regulatory Monitoring Schedule for the Year 2017 - Jersey Water
[File Ref]
Ministerial Decision ref: MD-PE-2016-0159
02 December 2016
Proposed Regulatory Monitoring Schedule For The Year 2017
Water Supply Zone
It is proposed that Jersey Water use the following risk assessment based monitoring programme for 2017.
Table 1 sets out the frequency of sampling for check parameters in the supply zone.
Table 1
Check monitoring |
Parameter | Proposed Sampling Frequency |
E.coli | 12 per 5,000 population ie 240 |
Coliform bacteria |
Residual disinfectant |
Aluminium | 76 |
Ammonium | 76 |
Colony counts | 76 |
Colour | 76 |
Conductivity | 76 |
Cyanide | 76 |
Enterococci | 76 |
Hydrogen ion | 76 |
Iron | 76 |
Manganese | 76 |
Nitrate | 76 |
Nitrite | 76 |
Odour | 76 |
Taste | 76 |
Turbidity | 76 |
The Company uses aluminium sulphate as a flocculant in the primary treatment process, therefore the sample frequency for aluminium will be at the check monitoring frequency.
As the water the Company uses originates from, or is influenced by, surface waters, the sampling frequency for iron and manganese will be at the check monitoring frequency.
The Company uses chloramination as one of its disinfection processes; therefore the sampling frequency for nitrite will be at the check monitoring frequency.
Table 2 sets out the frequency of sampling for audit parameters in the supply zone.
Table 2
Audit monitoring |
Parameter | Proposed Sampling Frequency |
Antimony | 1 |
Arsenic | 1 |
Benzene | 1 |
Boron | 1 |
Cadmium | 1 |
Chromium | 1 |
Copper | 8 |
1,2 dichloroethane | 1 |
Lead | 8 |
Nickel | 1 |
Selenium | 1 |
Sodium | 1 |
Trichloroethene } Tetrachloroethene } | 1 |
Tetrachloromethane | 1 |
Trihalomethanes | 8 |
Chloride | 1 |
Sulphate | 1 |
Total organic carbon | 8 |
Gross alpha | 4 |
Gross beta | 4 |
Changes in 2017 compared to 2016:
- Enterococci. Enterococci are widely distributed in the environment and are normal commensals of the intestinal tracts of animals, birds and humans. It has also been argued that their survival patterns are similar to pathogens, including viruses. Therefore, testing for Enterococci may be more indicative of faecal pollution than testing for coliforms. In light of this information the frequency of analysis has been increased to check monitoring levels. The analysis for Enterococci has been undertaken by the Jersey Water laboratory during 2016. To date all results have been negative in treated water.
- Pesticides. Monitoring for pesticides will be undertaken at the treatment works and not in the supply zone. This will allow for more concentrated monitoring to be undertaken and also allow for more substances to be monitored on a more frequent basis. If any breaches are recorded monitoring of the affected supply zone will be undertaken.
Treatment Works
The Company has two water treatment works located at Augres WTW and Handois WTW. Both treatment works use clarifiers (chemical assisted sedimentation) for primary treatment, followed by rapid gravity filtration using dual media (anthracite and sand). During 2015 Augres WTW supplied an average of 10,280 m3/d and Handois WTW 9,699 m3/d.
Following the release of the England and Wales Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2016, a review has taken place as to how the treatment works are classified.
During 2015/16, monitoring at Handois was undertaken at the three outlets to the treatment works. In Part 5 – Monitoring Additional Provisions, section 13.9, it states that it is only necessary to monitor more than one point if there is a difference in the treatment process between the points. All water going through Handois is treated in the same way, so for 2017 regulatory samples will only be taken from the Pump Station Outlet and not the 12” and 18” mains.
Table 3 sets out the frequency of sampling at the treatment works.
Table 3
Substances and parameters | Proposed Sampling Frequency |
E.coli | 208 |
Coliform bacteria | 208 |
Colony counts | 208 |
Nitrite | 104 |
Residual disinfectant | 208 |
Turbidity | 208 |
Conductivity | 52 |
Cyanide | 52 |
Subject to audit monitoring |
Benzene | 1 |
Boron | 1 |
Bromate | 8 |
1,2 dichloroethane | 1 |
Fluoride | 1 |
Pesticides and related products | 52* |
Trichloroethene } Tetrachloroethene } | 1 |
Tetrachloromethane | 1 |
Chloride | 1 |
Sulphate | 1 |
Total organic carbon | 8 |
Gross alpha | 4 |
Gross beta | 4 |
* Frequency for pesticide analysis will be based on the individual substances risk-assessed threat to the water supply, up to a maximum of 52 analyses in the year.
The Company uses chloramination as one of its disinfection processes; therefore the sampling frequency for nitrite will be at the check monitoring frequency.
The Company does not add sodium hypochlorite after the water has left the treatment works, therefore audit monitoring for bromate (a possible disinfection by-product) shall take place at the treatment works.
Check monitoring of nitrite at the treatment works will continue at the reduced rate - results for the last two years have been well below the EU regulatory limit of 0.1 mg/l, the highest result being 0.013 mg/l.
Changes in 2017 compared to 2016:
Cyanide. In light of the cyanide result experienced at Les Platons East SR on the 13th June, investigations have taken place as to where it could have originated from. The only unusual occurrence that can be linked to the time of sampling is the pesticide spill at the junction of La Route de St Jean and La Rue des Saints Germains on the 11th June. Cymoxanil, one of the substances involved in the spill, has a cyanide group in its chemical structure. South East Water ran a cymoxanil standard at our request through the cyanide test and it gave a positive result for cyanide. In light of this cyanide has been included at check monitoring frequency as a blunt test to detect pesticides that contain a cyanide group in their chemical structure that would otherwise go undetected.
Service Reservoirs
The Company has treated water service reservoirs (SR) at Westmount Road, St. Helier (9Ml capacity) and Les Platons, Trinity (9Ml capacity).
Following the release of the England and Wales Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2016, a review has taken place as to how the service reservoirs are classified.
A service reservoir should only be classified as a supply point if it receives water from a treatment works before any of it has been supplied to a consumer. As water entering both Westmount and Les Platons has supplied consumers prior to arriving at the sites, for 2017 they will be referred to as service reservoirs rather than supply points and they will be sampled as such.
Table 4 sets out the frequency of sampling at the service reservoirs.
Table 4
Substances and parameters | Proposed Sampling Frequency |
E.coli | 52 |
Coliform bacteria | 52 |
Colony counts | 52 |
Residual disinfectant | 52 |
It is proposed that analysis for the parameters given in the monitoring schedules will be undertaken by either the Company laboratory or their consulting analysts.
29th August 2016
Pesticides analysed at the treatment works
The “Pesticides analysed at the treatment works” is a living document and as such will be modified to include/exclude any substance deemed necessary to effectively monitor the water quality.
It is proposed in 2017 that pesticides are only monitored at the treatment works outlets as the amounts present will not increase as the water travels through the distribution system. If there is a breach at the works, further sampling within the area fed by the affected works will be taken.
Using the pesticide import data and information gained from GCMS semi-quantitative scan results, a risk assessment has been carried to highlight potential threats to our supply. This, along with what analyses are available from UK water accredited laboratories, has informed our list of pesticides.
The main group of pesticides will be monitored weekly throughout 2017. A separate group of pesticides are to be analysed 16 times during 2017, targeted to the spring and autumn growing seasons. This represents a two fold increase in analysis above the England and Wales sampling frequency previously followed.
This will run alongside our raw water monitoring programme to keep the company informed of the best sources to use, minimising the risk to the treated water supply.
Please note that chlorthal is not available as a parameter for analysis.
Substances and parameters | Proposed Sampling Frequency |
2,4,5-T 2,4-D 2,4-DB Atrazine Azoxystrobin Benazolin Bentazone Boscalid Bromoxynil Carbendazim Carbetamide Chlortoluron Clopyralid Cyproconazole Dicamba Dichlorprop Diuron Epoxiconazole Ethoprophos Fluroxypyr Flusilazole | Flutriafol Ioxynil Isoproturon Linuron MCPA MCPB Mecoprop (MCPP) Mesosulfuron-Methyl Metribuzin Metazachlor Oxadixyl PCP(Pentachlorophenol) Pendimethalin Prometryn Propazine Simazine Tebuconazole Terbutryn Triclopyr Trietazine | 52 |
Chlorpropham Chlorpyriphos Clomazone Diflufenican | Flufenacet Propiconazole Propyzamide Prosulfocarb | 16, targeted to spring and autumn growing seasons |
Glyphosate | Metaldehyde | 4 |
GCMS semi-quantitative scan | 1 |
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