The new owners of a rural property in East Devon got in touch with WCI to survey their private water supply and ensure it was wholesome and safe to drink.
Upon surveying, our engineer discovered a private well connected to the house and a borehole that inexplicably wasn’t. We put forward a proposal to improve their water supply, fix some noncompliance problems and connect the borehole to the house.
Having sampled the water to see whether any filtration would be required, laboratory analysis confirmed that only a UV steriliser would be required to treat the borehole water… but the well was another story!
The well water was at a serious risk of contamination and would need some remedial work to bring it up to a safe level for drinking. Although it was fitted with a UV, it hadn’t been installed in the correct place in the system as water for the whole property went into storage following the UV. We installed a larger UV steriliser capable of treating water at a higher flow rate and positioned it downstream of the storage tank to reduce the risk of contamination.
Alarmingly a mercury float switch had been installed on the storage tank to control the well pump. This needed to be removed since the use of mercury in drinking water systems is prohibited.
We then set about upgrading the top of the borehole wellhead by replacing the existing manhole cover and raising it above ground level to prevent surface water ingress. The borehole was fitted with a sealed cap to further protect it from external influences.
Due to the ground conditions, it wasn’t possible to dig a trench around the house to bring both supplies into the property separately. Therefore, a series of valves was installed which would allow the property owners to manually change over between the two supplies.
Satisfied with the work, the property owners took out an annual service plan with WCI to maintain and test their water supply and ensure it’s free of any nasties.
If you have a water or wastewater treatment plant that you feel needs our attention get in touch service@wci.co.uk or give us a call on 01984 623404.
