Unit 315 Session 2 (private water supplies)

​Private water supplies

Poll

Which of these do you think is a description of a private water supply?

• A private water supply is a water source that is not provided by a public utility but is instead sourced from private wells, springs, or rainwater collection systems.

• A private water supply is a system where water is delivered directly from a public reservoir to individual homes without any filtration or treatment.

• A private water supply refers to water that is exclusively used for industrial purposes and is not suitable for household consumption

• A private water supply is a network of underground pipes that distribute water from a central city water treatment plant to suburban areas.

​Private water supplies

​We have so far looked at the Water supply regulations, these regulations however only cover installations where the water is supplied from a water undertaker’s water main, and are enforced by the local water undertaker in the area. 

    They do not relate to, and are not enforceable, where the water is supplied from a private water source. 

​Private water supplies

A private water supply is a water source that is not provided by a public utility but is instead sourced from private wells, springs, or rainwater collection systems.


It is typically used by individual households or small communities and requires regular testing and maintenance to ensure water quality and safety.

​Private water supplies are covered by:
The Private Water Supplies Regulations 2009 


These regulations stipulate that a risk assessment must be made of all private water supplies, which includes the source and storage, any storage tanks or treatment systems.

It also includes the premises which use the private supply. 

​Many small, private drinking water supplies are extracted from boreholes and wells. 

 Boreholes are small in diameter and they are drilled by specialist companies.  

​The quantity of water available for a private supply will depend upon the type of aquifer that the borehole can access.  


An aquifer is an underground layer of water-bearing rock or sediment that holds groundwater. Groundwater enters an aquifer when precipitation seeps through the soil.


There are two main types:

Confined Aquifers

Unconfined Aquifers

Open Ended

We have discovered that water from a borehole needs to be pumped into the property, use the internet to research the type of pump required, give a brief description of the type of pump and upload an image.

​A submersible pump is a centrifugal pump that has a motor sealed from the ingress of water. The assembly is submerged in the water. 

​Submersible pumps are designed to push the water from the well or a borehole, as opposed to pulling water from it. 

They are more efficient than surface pumps, which pull the water upwards from a borehole. 

​Typical surface pumping set using multi-stage centrifugal pumps and pressure vessels that are usually sited in a pump house.  

​Boreholes extract the water from far deeper than any other source of private water supply. Boreholes can be drilled up to 50 metres deep with a bore between 100-150mm. 


This water has passed through many layers of rock and soil, which filters out a lot of contaminants.


When compared to other sources of surface water, borehole water frequently boasts outstanding quality.

Multiple Choice

What are the two main types of aquifers?

• Surface and Subsurface Aquifers

• Confined and Unconfined Aquifers

• Natural and Artificial Aquifers

• Deep and Shallow Aquifers

Multiple Choice

What role does an aquifer play in the water cycle?

• To purify water

• To store groundwater

• To cool water

• To generate water

Multiple Choice

Which feature in the diagram is typically found at the highest elevation?

• Lake

• Deep well

• Land spring

• Shallow well

Multiple Choice

Where is the assembly of a submersible pump located during operation?

• Above the water

• On the water surface

• Submerged in the water

• Next to the water source

Multiple Choice

What is the primary function of submersible pumps?

• To pull water from a borehole

• To push water from a well or borehole

• To filter water in a borehole

• To store water in a well

Multiple Choice

What is the primary purpose of drilling boreholes?

• To find oil

• To extract water

• To create tunnels

• To mine minerals