What do we sample?

The Environmental Health Team perform a number of different sampling duties including:

• Private water supplies
• Milk
• Food

Private Water Supplies

Any water supply that is not provided by a water company is a private water supply. It is not a mains supply. Within Aylesbury Vale the water companies are Thames Water and Anglian Water.

It is estimated that there are around 50,000 private water supplies in England and Wales, supplying water to about 300,000 people.

A private water source can supply one or more properties.
They are often found in remote, rural areas.
The source may be a borehole, spring, stream, river, lake or pond.
The owner or the person using it is responsible for repairing and maintaining it.

Private water supplies can pose a threat to health unless they are properly protected and treated. They can become contaminated with bacteria, parasites, viruses or other substances. Many are harmless, but some can cause illness or death in vulnerable people.

You can't tell whether your water is safe by taste or smell alone so it is important to have the water quality tested periodically to ensure it is safe to drink.

Private water supplies usually need a water treatment system to provide a safe supply of drinking water.

If you have any concern about the safety of your water you should boil it first or use bottled water.

We can offer advice and assistance on what treatments are needed and on testing.

Milk

Producers of milk and milk products within the Vale have their products sampled on a regular basis. Aylesbury Vale District Council has two on farm dairies and milk produced by those dairies is sampled and microbiologically examined on a regular basis to ensure that it is safe to drink and that it has been adequately pasteurised. This is in addition to the sampling carried out by the proprietor.

Food

Food sampled by officers is submitted to a laboratory to either be microbiologically examined or analysed for chemical composition.

Sampling Programme 

In addition to the above sampling programme this authority participates in:

• National sampling exercises organised by Local Authority Co-ordination of Food and Trading Standards (LACORS) and the Health Protection Agency.
• Bucks Food Liaison Group sampling exercises.

The Food Standards Agency may also conduct sampling exercises from time to time.

Date Published: 28/03/08