Private water supplies

All private water supplies must be registered with the local authority.

This information may be shared with public bodies such as Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) to help protect water quality from potential risks, including:

• agricultural or forestry work
• new developments, or
• pollution incidents

To register or update your supply details please email environmentalhealth@east-ayrshire.gov.uk.

There are two types of private water supplies:

1. Regulated Supplies 2017 – regulated by the Water Intended for Human Consumption (Private Supplies) (Scotland) 2017.
2. Type B Supplies 2006 – regulated by the Private Water Supplies (Scotland) Regulations 2006.

Regulated supplies

1. Supplies serve over 50 people or supply to businesses or public facilities irrespective of size.
2. Sampling and testing at least once a year as per the EC Drinking Water Directive (98/83/EC).
3. Risk assessment is carried out by the local authority every five years, or after any changes to the supply. The risk assessment provides information to owners and users regarding any actions to be taken to improve the supply and reduce any risks to human health that may arise from its use.
4. Business premises require to display an information notice advising people that the water supply is a private supply.

These supplies serve premises of a business or public nature including:

• self-catering premises
• food businesses
• bed and breakfasts (B&Bs)
• campsites
• other businesses with staff or the public using the water supply

We routinely monitor these higher risk supplies as part of our statutory duties. The information gathered is made available in the form of a Public Register of Private Supplies.

Type B supplies

1. Supplies serve domestic premises only, for less than 50 people.
2. There is no requirement for statutory sampling or risk assessment – this can be carried out by us on request.
3. Sampling costs are paid by the supply owner and varies depending on the analysis required.

Charges will be applied from October 2025. If you have any questions please email environmentalhealth@east-ayrshire.gov.uk.

After payment, Environmental Health will contact you within five working days to arrange a visit.

If we can't take a sample during the visit due to access or other issues, the fee will still be charged as callout charge for Environmental Health staff to attend.

Please note it can take up to six weeks to get the results from our partner lab. You’ll receive the results by email, showing if the water test passed or failed.

Private water supplies are, by their nature, very vulnerable to contamination that may cause waterborne infections or other ill effects. Contamination can be bacteriological in nature from:

• faecal matter such as human sewerage or animal droppings
• chemical sources, such as fertiliser or pesticide run-off from fields
• deterioration of distribution pipe work, for example lead, copper, nickel or zinc
• natural sources such as soils and rocks, for example iron, manganese or arsenic

It makes good sense to have your water tested to monitor the water quality and take further actions as necessary to maintain or improve the supply.

If you have any questions or need to discuss your water supply, please contact Environmental Health.

If business premises are served by a private supply in Scotland, the supply owner/manager is required by law to display a Drinking Water Poster. This lets people know so they can consider whether they need to take additional precautions to protect their health.

Although the quality of private water supplies is often acceptable for drinking and other purposes this may not always be the case. Under certain circumstances the quality may be lower than you would expect from a public supply such as Scottish Water.

There are occasions when there is an increased risk of harmful bacteria affecting a supply. This is most likely to happen after heavy rainfall or snowmelt, or when the water is highly coloured.

Some people are more vulnerable to harmful bacteria than others including:

• bottle-fed infant
• the elderly
• people with weakened immune systems

For these people we recommend that you always boil water used for drinking, including ice, brushing teeth and preparing food, particularly salads and fruit.

Water needs to be brought to the boil and can then be stored in a covered container in the fridge for up to 48 hours.

Alternatively, you can use bottled water for these purposes. If you decide to use bottled water, remember that any water bottled water labelled “natural mineral water” may contain too much sodium for babies.

Always check the label to make sure the figure for sodium (Na) isn’t higher than 200milligrams (mg) per litre.

If water fails to meet chemical standards,don't boil it, use a different supply instead. Again, in these cases a notice should be displayed at the property to let people know.

Grants to improve private water supplies

Grants of up to £800 are available every five years to improve your private water supply.  For more details please email environmentalhealth@east-ayrshire.gov.uk.

Public water supplier

If public water runs lows, Scottish Water provides help to ensure safe drinking water is available to us. This may include providing bottled water or bowsers.

Private water supplier

For private water supplies only, the situation is different, and the responsibility lies with the people who use the supply or any third party who provides or manages the supply by contract.

In some circumstances the Council may be able to help when supplies run dry or are at serious risk of doing so. Assistance is usually limited to an emergency supply of bottled water for drinking to help with an immediate and short-term need.

If you use a private water supply, you may also be expected to make improvements to prevent and/or reduce the likelihood of future supply failure.

Private water supplies may provide insufficient quantities of water for a number of reasons such as:

• droughts or freezing conditions
• undetected leaks or burst pipes
• mechanical failures, for example pumps or blocked filters
• disconnection by a third party managing the supply

It is therefore advisable to consider how you could manage should the supply be disrupted for any reason.