Changes to Private Water Regulations

Written by Kirsty Williams AM and published in Mid Wales Journal Friday 29th May 2009 on Sun 31st May 2009

So many of our small businesses and the families they support and employ are suffering under the recession. With farming businesses through to B&Bs feeling the painful pinch, now is the time for the Welsh Government to be doing all it can to ease these essential businesses through these very hard times. Small enterprises and the tourist industry which they promote and support are after all the back bone of our rural economy. Yet the Assembly Government appears to have decided now is the time to penalise our rural businesses and subsequently the communities and local economies they serve; as they have begun consulting on a European directive which gives local councils widespread powers to analyse private water supplies. The Welsh Government's proposed changes to the Private Water Regulations, which would require that all commercial supplies, no matter how small, be risk assessed 2 or 4 times a year could raise costs from £70 to over £600 per year. The proposed increase in testing fees for private water supplies would clearly be a massive and unaffordable increase for many of our small businesses.

It is estimated that 11,900 homes and businesses in Wales would be affected by these changes. Whilst domestic properties will undergo less monitoring commercial premises, from hotels, guest-houses, B&Bs, caravan sites, restaurants and cafés will be hardest hit no matter how small they are. The proposals would also be a heavy blow to others on private water supplies such as schools and dairies.

Whilst I can appreciate the move is designed to prevent repeats of the coliform and cryptosporidium outbreaks which have in recent years blighted parts of North Wales I believe these proposals are disproportionate and excessive, to the point where they will make many of our smaller businesses unviable. Under the plans councils could be allowed to charge fees of between £75 and £435 when they carry out monitoring. In addition they can charge up to £100 for each risk assessment, and up to £80 for each visit to take samples.

Many local holiday lets and other tourist businesses run on a very small scale and often their operators entered the tourism industry as a result of farm diversification. I have been contacted by constituents who say that the proposed maximum fee will represent almost one third of their holiday let turnover for the last tax year and will mean that the business will no longer be sustainable. These proposals have the potential to destroy much of our essential and vulnerable tourist industry and the livelihood of those who are so dependent upon them. Ultimately it would not just be the businesses that will suffer it will be the communities at which they are the heart.

It is essential that as many people respond to the consultation as possible to ensure the voices of small rural businesses are heard. My parties shadow Minister for Rural Affairs has written raising our concerns that the proposed increased will have a seriously damaging effect on many small businesses in Powys and I would urge you to the same. The deadline for the consultation is the 8th of June and responses should be sent to: Phil Chatfield, Welsh Assembly Government, PWS Consultation, Climate Change and Water Division, 3rd Floor A02, Cathays Park Cardiff, CF10 3NQ. Please use this opportunity to be heard and to speak up for our small rural businesses at the time when they need it the most.

Further details can be found at:

http://new.wales.gov.uk/consultations/environmentandcountryside/privatewater/?lang=en