Private water supplies

If you're buying, renting or selling a property that has a private water supply there are steps you will need to take to make sure, or show, the supply is safe.

You will need to:

• check if the supply is registered
• ask for recent test results
• confirm any treatment systems
• check for outstanding improvement notices
• get legal advice if needed

Selling a property with a private water supply

If you're selling a property with a private water supply, you may need to get a report to prove that the supply is safe from a private water supply contractor. They will need to be UKAS accredited for any sampling they do.

If you just need your water to be tested we can do this for you. Please be aware it may take up to six weeks to get the results.

Buying or renting a property with a private water supply

If you are buying a property in the area you can check with the vendor if the property has:

• a private water supply that is registered with us
• any treatment systems that we are aware of
• had a formal risk assessment
• had testing performed recently (you can ask the owner or landlord for the most recent test results to find out if the water is safe to use and consume before you move in)
• any outstanding actions that are legally required to be taken to bring the water up to regulatory standard

Landlords must make sure water is safe and regularly tested.