Private Water Supply - Local Authority testing fees

[Fiacre]

We have a private water supply providing good quality water from a well maintained system to the farm and 12 other dwellings.

We have just received an increase in the annual testing fees from the local authority from £153 to £505. The only addition to the testing is for a range of herbicides and pesticides, many of which were withdrawn 30 - 40 years ago and all of which were untraceable. Has anybody any experience of these increases and successfully appealed the charges? It feels to me that the Local Authority may be exceeding their responsibilities and just trying to secure an additional source of income.

 

[Farfrae]

A bit of Googling should bring you up the fees charged by many other local authorities

Such as

Calderdale

or

Pendle

as just 2 examples

 

[Ffermer Bach]

we used a private company, who are cheaper than the local authority
https://www.minton.co.uk/offices

 

[upnortheast]

We had same letter from county council. Seem to have found some new hoops to jump through

 

[farmerm]

We have a private water supply providing good quality water from a well maintained system to the farm and 12 other dwellings.

We have just received an increase in the annual testing fees from the local authority from £153 to £505. The only addition to the testing is for a range of herbicides and pesticides, many of which were withdrawn 30 - 40 years ago and all of which were untraceable. Has anybody any experience of these increases and successfully appealed the charges? It feels to me that the Local Authority may be exceeding their responsibilities and just trying to secure an additional source of income.

That is a bit steep! Is this an invoice you received after testing? Could it be someone over eager at the council ticked the wrong box when sending in the samples and now you are being fleeced to make up the difference...

we used a private company, who are cheaper than the local authority
https://www.minton.co.uk/offices

We used to be able to self sample, and send for analysis but the results of such are no longer accepted by our council except for single domestic properties. All private water supplies around here have to be risk assessed by the council, at a cost, and then the council take the annual water samples and send us the bill.

 

[Gone Shooting]

Just had mine done privately - 2 tests around £125

 

[upnortheast]

Just had mine done privately - 2 tests around £125

But it seems this new thing is in addition to the standard tests

 

[Fiacre]

That is a bit steep! Is this an invoice you received after testing? Could it be someone over eager at the council ticked the wrong box when sending in the samples and now you are being fleeced to make up the difference...


Yes, an invoice produced after testing without warning or explanation. This is in addition to a £260 risk assessment charged last March.

 

[betweenthelines]

Get your milk buyer to test it. They'll find antibiotics, high cell counts and an unacceptable FPD!

 

[deleted user 837354]

We have a private water supply providing good quality water from a well maintained system to the farm and 12 other dwellings.

We have just received an increase in the annual testing fees from the local authority from £153 to £505. The only addition to the testing is for a range of herbicides and pesticides, many of which were withdrawn 30 - 40 years ago and all of which were untraceable. Has anybody any experience of these increases and successfully appealed the charges? It feels to me that the Local Authority may be exceeding their responsibilities and just trying to secure an additional source of income.

Ring them up and tell them they are a bunch of muppets who are testing to products that were withdrawn years ago and you will carry out your own testing- thank you.

 

[farmerm]

Did your risk assessment have any mention of the need for chemical testing in addition to the standard bacteriological testing? I see Dorset council can charge £65 for standard analysis but £512 for analysis in an area considered to be high risk... It is astounding how much variation there Is between how different councils are interpreting and applying the same legislation! For example Dorset council state that supplies to less than 50 people only need testing once every five years yet Shropshire CC insist ours is tested annually.