Our Ref: DWI/2/10 Event 30/10 Date: 9 June ... - Derry City Council

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286 distribution mains; 880 communication pipes; and 180 fittings. A significant number of bursts occurred on private property and these do not form part of this assessment. It is estimated that 80% of the additional water demand caused by the freeze/thaw leaked from domestic and business water pipes. 3. Conclusions 3.1 I note that, due to the complex nature and extent of this incident, and given the scale and operational demands, the company’s main priority was the restoration of water supplies and the delivery of alternative interim supply arrangements. 3.2 While undertaking the many activities to restore supplies NI Water has also a duty to ensure that public health is protected through the provision of safe drinking water supplies and that appropriate mitigation measures are put in place to manage any risk of supplying water which could constitute a potential danger to human health. 3.3 The post incident assessment undertaken by my inspectors is based on the currently available information and provides comment and makes recommendations on how NI Water carried out its drinking water quality regulatory duties. Since my initial assessment letter was issued seeking assurances, further information requirements and making recommendations to NI Water, several follow up actions are underway or have been completed. 3.4 The follow up actions in Annex 2 are considered necessary to give the assurance that any key learning points from this incident are carried forwards to ensure regulatory compliance and uphold public confidence. It is necessary for NI Water to ensure that risks to public health are being robustly managed to prevent the potential contamination of drinking water supplies, particularly when normal operational conditions do not prevail. Pending satisfactory completion of the remaining follow up actions, the Inspectorate will proceed to close this incident file. 3.5 The following paragraphs provide summary detail on the main aspects of the Inspectors assessment of this incident. 3.6 Incident management 3.6.1 NI Water had in place a Major Incident Plan (MIP). This provides the necessary framework to manage sufficiency and supply issues. Roles, responsibilities, tasks and activities are identified with the scientific adviser playing a key role in water quality matters. 3.6.2 NI Water needs to have its MIP supported by the application of good operational procedures and that record keeping is carried out robustly throughout any incident. Page 4 of 7
3.6.3 During any incident it is incumbent upon NI Water to manage the risks to prevent the introduction of contamination into the water supply. It is paramount that the framework within the MIP is put into effective operation and that good communication and close liaison with relevant stakeholders is maintained. This is to enable appropriate and timely advice being given to protect consumers of any potential risk of contaminated water, and what action consumers can take during such emergency situations. 3.6.4 The Inspectorate acknowledges that due to the scale of this incident there was an unprecedented demand placed on NI Water’s customers’ services which would normally record customers concerns and complaints. However, the Inspectorate is concerned that the systems that were in operation were unable to allow consumers concerns or complaints to be recorded as required in <strong>DWI</strong> Information Letter 01/11. This is a particular issue regarding the recording of information relating to the appearance of the water, given the potential for consumers to be concerned during incidents, as well as the considerations regarding the provision of ‘unfit’ water for human consumption. 3.6.5 Given the large scale disruption and restoration of the distribution network during the incident, this may have caused concern for consumers who may have experienced problems with receiving discoloured water. It is the Inspectorate’s assessment that consumers would have benefited if they had been given information on what to expect during the disruption to normal services and when their water supplies were being restored. The Inspectorate recommends that NI Water reviews its communication of key messages such as ‘discolouration due to mains deposits’ or ‘cloudiness due to air’ and also to consider giving advice on any steps consumers may take until the water quality returns to normal. 3.7 Record keeping 3.7.1 It is fundamental to recognize the importance of having effective record keeping at all levels. This applies, not only to staff in the incident room, but also to the management of all staff and resources, to ensure that the information requirements can be met. Records are kept to support the decisions that are taken during the incident of how risks are managed to avoid contamination. The information logs and data sheets also provide the necessary evidence to demonstrate that regulatory responsibilities have, or have not, been met. 3.7.2 The Inspectorate recommends that robust records are required to provide information in support of actions NI Water took to manage the water quality aspect during this incident and has recommended that the relevant sections of the MIP on record keeping are reviewed. Significant gaps in documentation provision extended from communication logs on how decisions were made between NI Water and key stakeholders regarding public health protection, through to sufficiency of records to demonstrate compliance with the provision of alternative supplies. 3.8 Risk management 3.8.1 The Inspectorate assesses what measures NI Water has in place to manage any risk of supplying water which could constitute a potential danger to human health during the incident. A risk based approach needs to be applied to all of NI Water’s activities as it is paramount to safeguard consumers particularly where normal operational conditions do not prevail. Page 5 of 7
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Our Ref: DWI/2/10 Event 30/10 Date: 9 June ... - Derry City Council

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