Thank you for your email regarding your Environmental Information Regulations (EIR) enquiry, please take this email as confirmation that your query has been received.

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United Utilities Group PLC, Haweswater House, Lingley Mere
Business Park, Lingley Green Avenue, Great Sankey,
Warrington, WA5 3LP
Registered in England and Wales. Registered No 6559020

www.unitedutilities.com
www.unitedutilities.com/subsidiaries

Thank you for your email regarding your Environmental Information Regulations (EIR) enquiry, please take this email as confirmation that your query has been received.

We will aim to reply to you as soon as possible and no later than 20 working days.

Thank you,
Environmental Information Regulations (EIR) Team.

This is an automated response, please do not reply to this message.

The information contained in this e-mail is intended only
for the individual to whom it is addressed. It may contain
legally privileged or confidential information or otherwise
be exempt from disclosure. If you have received this Message
in error or there are any problems, please notify the sender
immediately and delete the message from your computer. You
must not use, disclose, copy or alter this message for any
unauthorised purpose. Neither United Utilities Group PLC nor
any of its subsidiaries will be liable for any direct, special,
indirect or consequential damages as a result of any virus being
passed on, or arising from the alteration of the contents of
this message by a third party.

United Utilities Group PLC, Haweswater House, Lingley Mere
Business Park, Lingley Green Avenue, Great Sankey,
Warrington, WA5 3LP
Registered in England and Wales. Registered No 6559020

www.unitedutilities.com
www.unitedutilities.com/subsidiaries

Dear Clare

Further to your email dated 13 February 2023, we apologise that the email
below did not reach you.

We will respond to your request as soon as possible.

Regards

EIR Team

EIR Team
[1]cid:image003.png@01D874F4.08800700
unitedutilities.com

From: EIRRequests
Sent: 09 February 2023 19:03
To: 'mailto:[FOI #935802 email]'
<mailto:[FOI #935802 email]>
Subject: Environmental Information Regulations request - United Utilities
monitoring of PFOS PFOA and data held.

Dear Clare

We refer to your EIR Request dated 14 January 2023.

We are writing to advise you that the time limit for responding to your
request for information under the Environmental Information Regulations
2004, which we received on 14 January 2023, needs to be extended.

The Regulations allow us 20 working days to respond to your request from
the date of its receipt. However, it is occasionally necessary to extend
the 20 working day time limit for issuing a response. In this case, we
must extend the time limit for responding by 20 days to enable us to
respond to your request.

We will aim to have a response with you as soon as possible.

Regards

EIR Team

EIR Team
[2]cid:image003.png@01D874F4.08800700
unitedutilities.com

From: Clare Tierney [[3]mailto:[FOI #935802 email]]

Sent: 14 January 2023 11:39

To: EIRRequests <[4][United Utilities request email]>

Subject: Environmental Information Regulations request - United Utilities
monitoring of PFOS PFOA and data held.

EXTERNAL EMAIL This email originated outside of the organisation. Do not
click links or open attachments unless you recognise the sender and know
the content is safe.

Dear United Utilities Water PLC,

Purpose: understand the state of monitoring by United Utilities for PFOS,
PFOA chemicals, and data held.

1. What monitoring programme do you currently have in place for PFOS, PFOA
chemicals at drinking water abstraction points?

2. Can you give a document that sets out the locations of abstraction
points where levels of PFOS and PFOAs are being monitored.

3. Provide insight on the monitoring done, any constraints or limitations,
and, any data held for monitoring at those sites for PFOA, PFOS since
commencement.

4. Set out what ‘downstream’ monitoring is undertaken at consumer end
points / taps for these chemicals, and if not done, set out the rationale
and any risks the firm believes are associated with this position.

5. Any discussions with your regulator on this topic in the past 3 years
6. What mitigations United Utilities has considered should any chemicals
be found, and, the estimated cost to implement.

Many thanks indeed.

Yours faithfully,

Clare T

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show quoted sections

Thank you for your email regarding your Environmental Information Regulations (EIR) enquiry, please take this email as confirmation that your query has been received.

We will aim to reply to you as soon as possible and no later than 20 working days.

Thank you,
Environmental Information Regulations (EIR) Team.

This is an automated response, please do not reply to this message.

The information contained in this e-mail is intended only
for the individual to whom it is addressed. It may contain
legally privileged or confidential information or otherwise
be exempt from disclosure. If you have received this Message
in error or there are any problems, please notify the sender
immediately and delete the message from your computer. You
must not use, disclose, copy or alter this message for any
unauthorised purpose. Neither United Utilities Group PLC nor
any of its subsidiaries will be liable for any direct, special,
indirect or consequential damages as a result of any virus being
passed on, or arising from the alteration of the contents of
this message by a third party.

United Utilities Group PLC, Haweswater House, Lingley Mere
Business Park, Lingley Green Avenue, Great Sankey,
Warrington, WA5 3LP
Registered in England and Wales. Registered No 6559020

www.unitedutilities.com
www.unitedutilities.com/subsidiaries

Dear Ms Tierney

EIR Reference: EIR/ID209/22/23

We write further to your request for information dated 14 January 2023 in
relation to “United Utilities monitoring of PFOS PFOA and data held” and
apologise for the delay in providing you with a response.

We have considered your request in accordance with the Environmental
Information Regulations 2004 (EIR).

Where the questions raised are not sufficiently detailed or are requests
for United Utilities’ opinion rather than requests for environmental
information that is held, we have provided as much information as possible
in response to your request.

1.       What monitoring programme do you currently have in place for
PFOS, PFOA chemicals at drinking water abstraction points? - We have
established a routine monitoring programme at all of our abstraction
points with frequency of sampling based on a Drinking Water Safety Plan
(DWSP) risk assessment.

2.       Can you give a document that sets out the locations of
abstraction points where levels of PFOS and PFOAs are being monitored – we
are unable to disclose this information on the grounds of public safety,
pursuant to Regulation 12(5)(a) EIR on the basis that if this information
was to be released into the public domain, there is a risk that our
abstraction points would be subject to acts of sabotage, endangering our
employees and the general public. The public interest in maintaining this
exception outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information,
given the risk to public safety.

3.       Provide insight on the monitoring done, any constraints or
limitations, and, any data held for monitoring at those sites for PFOA,
PFOS since commencement  - the analytical capacity in the UK is still
limited but is expanding.    Please see attached for the PFOS and PFOA
data from our raw water sources from results available from 2022.   It
should be noted that these are raw water results. 

4.       Set out what ‘downstream' monitoring is undertaken at consumer
end points / taps for these chemicals, and if not done, set out the
rationale and any risks the firm believes are associated with this
position - While the analytical capability is still growing, as directed
by DWI, we are focussing our risk assessment and monitoring on catchments
and raw water sources.

5.       Any discussions with your regulator on this topic in the past 3
years - Copies of information letters and guidance notes issued by the DWI
relating to this topic are provided on their website.
https://www.dwi.gov.uk/pfas-and-forever-...

6.       What mitigations United Utilities has considered should any
chemicals be found, and, the estimated cost to implement - we have started
to look at potential treatment and mitigation options, should they be
necessary, for example use of granular activated carbon. The cost would be
dependent on a number of factors, including size of water treatment works
and considered on a site by site basis. All of our drinking water
catchments are covered by Drinking Water Safety Plan risk assessments,
where we regularly review the activities on catchment through on-site
inspections, and by monitoring the quality of the water.  Any new or
change in information is incorporated into our risk assessment which
informs any action planning and whether any additional mitigation is
required.  In addition, we have established a routine monitoring programme
and will look to expand this to a wider range of the PFAS as the
analytical capability is extended and robust accredited methods are
available.  Should we receive any elevated results, further investigations
would be initiated to better understand the position and any remedial
action that would be required, this would also include appropriate liaison
with the relevant health authorities and DWI.

Should you consider that we have not adequately complied with our
obligations under EIR, we are also obliged to inform you that you have the
right to ask us to carry out an internal review of our response. This can
be done by writing to David Hannon, Head of Legal, United Utilities, Legal
Department, Grasmere House First Floor, Lingley Mere Business Park,
Lingley Green Avenue, Great Sankey, Warrington  WA5 3LP. Alternatively,
you may find it easier to e-mail us directly on
[1][United Utilities request email], quoting the above reference, and your review
request will be forwarded on to Mr Hannon.

Any request for an internal review should explain why you wish a review to
be carried out, and should be made within 40 working days of receipt of
this letter, and we will reply within 40 working days of receipt. If you
are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right
to make a formal complaint to the Information Commissioner.

Regards

EIR Team
[2]cid:image003.png@01D874F4.08800700
unitedutilities.com

The information contained in this e-mail is intended only
for the individual to whom it is addressed. It may contain
legally privileged or confidential information or otherwise
be exempt from disclosure. If you have received this Message
in error or there are any problems, please notify the sender
immediately and delete the message from your computer. You
must not use, disclose, copy or alter this message for any
unauthorised purpose. Neither United Utilities Group PLC nor
any of its subsidiaries will be liable for any direct, special,
indirect or consequential damages as a result of any virus being
passed on, or arising from the alteration of the contents of
this message by a third party.

United Utilities Group PLC, Haweswater House, Lingley Mere
Business Park, Lingley Green Avenue, Great Sankey,
Warrington, WA5 3LP
Registered in England and Wales. Registered No 6559020

www.unitedutilities.com
www.unitedutilities.com/subsidiaries

References

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1. mailto:[United Utilities request email]