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This brief guide is intended to encourage horse owners and keepers to consider the management of their water supply so that it meets the requirements of the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999. The Regulations are intended to help landowners ensure that their own water supply is clean and delivered from a reliable plumbing system.
Fresh water is the most vital part of a horse or pony’s diet, but we may not pay sufficient attention to its quality. It is essential that horses and ponies have access to clean, uncontaminated water at all times. It is also extremely important that the water in drinking bowls and troughs for horses and ponies does not as a result of back siphonage contaminate the rest of the water in the premises or the main water supply itself. The Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999 is legislation which aims to protect the water supply to us and our animals. It can also save money by helping to prevent wastage!
In 1999 the government introduced new national regulations in England and Wales to replace the older byelaws. This important legislation was implemented to protect water supplies from contamination and to reduce water wastage. The owners or occupiers of all premises have a legal duty to comply with the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999. The aim of these regulations is to 'prevent contamination, waste, misuse and undue consumption' of public water supplies.
The Regulations define five levels of risk for water contamination, and the corresponding devices for the protection of the consumer. The water supplies for all types of stables are considered to be a fluid Category 5 risk, the highest and most serious level of risk.
Water troughs and water feeders (follow PDF link below for diagram) must have a minimum air gap of 20mm (0.78"), or twice the diameter of the inlet pipe between the water discharge point and spillover level or overflow to prevent water from being drawn back into the supplying pipework (back flow). The air gap is measured between the lowest discharge point of the water inlet and the spill over level (top edge) of the trough.
You must never directly connect a pipe conveying mains water to one carrying water from another source, such as rainwater. If water other than mains water (possibly from rainwater pipes or recycled water) is used with mains water, the mains water must be discharged into a cistern with backflow prevention arrangements providing fluid category 5 backflow prevention.
Underground pipes must be buried to a minimum of 750mm (2’6") to protect them from frost and mechanical damage. The water suppliers’ permission must be obtained before pipes outside a building are laid less than 750mm below ground.
Water pipes installed above ground, or less than 750mm below ground in any unheated places must be adequately lagged to protect them from frost.
Where a gravity fed cistern or header tank is used (perhaps to supply individual horse drinking bowls) they must be fitted with a float operated valve to BS1212 Part 2 or 3 or those listed by the Water Regulations Advisory Scheme (WRAS), to ensure that backflow is prevented. They must also have a valve to turn off the supply (a servicing valve) upstream of the float operated valve.
There must be a stop valve to isolate the supply from the water main, and each building with a water supply should have a separate stop valve controlling the supply. If a burst or leak occurs in one building, it can be isolated without having to turn off the supply to every building on the holding.
Pipes and fittings, especially plastic, must not be installed where they could come into contact (whether above or below ground) with any contaminated materials, such as manure or diesel or heating fuel, or where they are likely to be spilt.
Because of the possibility of siphoning contaminated water through a hose outlet left submerged in a bucket, puddle or drain and back into the water supply, hose union taps installed in stables - irrespective of whether or not the stable is a commercially operation - are a fluid category 5 risk. As such, the system supplying a hose union tap needs to be protected by a backflow prevention arrangement or device offering fluid category 5 protection.
The location of water mains entering and crossing the land must be known to protect the pipes from damage when fencing or putting in new buildings.
The location of the water meter (where fitted) should be known. This should be regularly read, as a high reading could indicate that a pipe has burst or a water trough is overflowing.
The regulations have applied to all plumbing systems and water using equipment in premises, including stables, supplied with mains water since 1 July 1999. The Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999 do not require the replacement of fittings installed before that date, providing they complied with the original byelaws.
However, under separate legislation, (The Water Industry Act 1991), if a water supplier considers fittings to be a significant risk of contamination or waste of water, improvements will be required.
Any pre-July 1999 fittings that do not meet the original byelaws will have to be modified to comply with the current Regulations.
Materials and fittings must comply with the Regulations’ requirements. (See the Water Fittings and Materials Directory published by the Water Regulations Advisory Scheme).
As installations must satisfy the requirements of the regulations, a competent plumber should be used to ensure any work carried out complies with the Regulations. Plumbers approved by the water supplier can issue a certificate of competence.
By law, you must let your water supplier know what plumbing work is to be carried out (unless it is repairs or like-for-like replacements) and have the supplier's consent.
The water supplier should then let you know within ten working days whether or not you have consent. If they don’t stick to this time scale, consent has automatically been granted, and work can go ahead, but must of course still comply with the Regulations.
The Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999 seem complicated when they are first viewed, but most of the requirements are simple common sense, and most horse owners and keepers will probably find that they comply with them already.
This list of requirements is not exhaustive, further information can be obtained from WRAS, the NFU and your local water supplier.
Water Regulations Advisory Scheme
01495 248454
Detailed information can be found in the Stablesguide on the WRAS website.
All the above information plus diagrams and references are available in a PDF version below.
Water Regulations Advice Note (004)
http://www.surreycc.gov.uk/?a=204993
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