Draft Water Intended for Human Consumption (Private Supplies) (Scotland) Regulations 2017: consultation

1. Introduction

1.1 The Scottish Ministers are seeking comments on proposals to transpose, for private water supplies only, Directive ( EU) 2015/1787 ("the Amending Directive") which makes some changes to Directive 98/83/EC on the quality of water intended for human consumption ("the Drinking Water Directive"). These changes need to be transposed by 27 October 2017.

Large private water supplies (also known as 'Type A supplies')

1.2 The Scottish Ministers propose to make the Water Intended for Human Consumption (Private Supplies) (Scotland) Regulations 2017 (draft attached). This would replace the provisions of the Private Water Supplies (Scotland) Regulations 2006 ("the existing Regulations") which apply to large private water supplies.

1.3 The draft Regulations would, for larger private supplies, freshly transpose the Directive (as amended). They would also continue to deliver, for larger private supplies, the additional monitoring required by Directive 2013/51/Euratom. This consultation invites comments on the proposed draft Regulations.

Small private water supplies (also known as 'Type B supplies')

1.4 The Scottish Ministers also propose to update, and possibly replace, the existing Regulations in so far as they apply to small private water supplies. It is envisaged that this will be done by means of a separate set of Regulations.

1.5 We welcome views on these proposals.

1.6 This consultation will run from 6 May to 28 July 2017.

Handling your response

1.7 You may respond to this consultation using Citizen Space or by post. If you respond using Citizen Space you will be directed to an About You page. Please indicate how you wish your response to be handled and, in particular, whether you are happy for your response to be published. If you are unable to respond via Citizen Space, please complete and return the Respondent Information Form included in this document together with your consultation questionnaire responses to:

Eleanor Vance
Drinking Water Quality Division
Area 3-J South
Victoria Quay
Edinburgh
EH6 6QQ

If responding by post please clearly indicate which questions or parts of the consultation paper you are responding to. This will aid our analysis of the responses received. If you ask for your response not to be published, we will regard it as confidential, and we will treat it accordingly.

1.8 All respondents should be aware that the Scottish Government is subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 and would therefore have to consider any request made to it under the Act for information relating to responses made to this consultation exercise.

Next steps in the process

1.9 All responses will be analysed and considered along with any other available evidence to help us. Following the close of the consultation and where respondents have given permission for their response to be made public, and after we have checked that they contain no potentially defamatory material, responses will be made available to the public at https://consult.scotland.gov.uk/drinking-water-quality-regulator-for-scotland/water-intended-for-human-consumption. If you use Citizen Space to respond, you will receive a copy of your response via email.

1.10 If you have any comments about how this consultation exercise has been conducted, please send them to the contact details above.