I've been warned that under the new regulations, we are not permitted to carry out in improvements or changes to our water supply until the council has done a risk assessment, made recommendations for improvements and then approved the improvements.
At the same time, I was also told that it will be at least a year before the council staff are trained to carry out the assessments and all the related tasks.
When I pointed out that we've already had serious problems for a year, the council officer said it was all very well for the Scottish Executive to pass new regulation, it's another thing for it to be implemented.
He said the council had learned we'd put a new borehole pump in (months ago as it happens) and warned that we may be required to remove it! I pointed out that the old one had burned out when the borehole ran dry, so we'd had to replace it. Apparently, that's irrelevant.
So, what are we supposed to do? Have no water until they get their act together?
I'm also not allowed to put in any filtration systems, connect or remove troughs to or from the water supply, collect rainwater that connects into the water supply, etc. All this now has to be risk assessed, recommendations made and plans approved.
Well, they can p*** off!
And I wonder who's been going around informing on us? I know it wouldn't be the neighbours, but it's clearly someone from the village. Grrr.
Time to put my kick-a*** steel toed boots back on...
And watch out anyone else with a private water supply up here. They're checking all their records, comparing databases of housing with mains connections, and will be checking up on all private supplies once they have the staff trained up. You may have to prove that any changes made were done before the regulations came in.
