Private supplies tend to serve isolated, remote properties, or small communities. There are around seven hundred private water supplies in Craven.

Private supplies are classified into eleven classes, depending on the size and use of the supply.

All private supplies must be sampled on a regular basis for a range of bacteriological and chemical contaminants. The frequency of these tests is laid down in the Private Water Supplies Regulations 1991, and varies according to the size of supply.

The costs of sampling and analysis are passed on to the person responsible for the supply.

For more information on private water supplies, see the Drinking Water Inspectorate leaflet.