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Buying and selling a property with a private water supply

Last updated
5 Oct 2022

Selling a property with a private water supply

If you're selling a property with a private water supply, you'll need to prove that the supply is safe to use.

You can contact your local council to have a sample of your supply tested. This will:

  • give you a snapshot of the make-up of your water
  • let you know whether there are any bugs in it
  • let you know if the chemicals and metals in it are within safe limits.

You may have to pay for your council to sample your water.

Aberdeen City Council Aberdeenshire Council Angus Council Argyll and Bute Council Clackmannanshire Council Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles Council) Dumfries and Galloway Council Dundee City Council East Ayrshire Council East Dunbartonshire Council East Lothian Council East Renfrewshire Council Edinburgh Council Falkirk Council Fife Council Glasgow City Council Highland Council Inverclyde Council Midlothian Council Moray Council North Ayrshire Council North Lanarkshire Council Orkney Islands Council Perth & Kinross Council Renfrewshire Council Scottish Borders Council Shetland Council South Ayrshire Council South Lanarkshire Council Stirling Council West Dunbartonshire Council West Lothian Council

Buying or renting a property with a private water supply

The local council for the area you're moving to must have a register of all private water supplies.

So you can check if the property you're moving to has:

  • a supply private supply that's registered with the council
  • treatment in place to make sure it's safe
  • had a formal risk assessment
  • been improved with a private water supply grant

If you're buying or renting a property with a private water supply, you can ask the owner or landlord for a copy of the most recent test results to find out whether the water's safe to use before you move in.

Your local authority can help you understand what the sample results mean.

Aberdeen City Council Aberdeenshire Council Angus Council Argyll and Bute Council Clackmannanshire Council Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles Council) Dumfries and Galloway Council Dundee City Council East Ayrshire Council East Dunbartonshire Council East Lothian Council East Renfrewshire Council Edinburgh Council Falkirk Council Fife Council Glasgow City Council Highland Council Inverclyde Council Midlothian Council Moray Council North Ayrshire Council North Lanarkshire Council Orkney Islands Council Perth & Kinross Council Renfrewshire Council Scottish Borders Council Shetland Council South Ayrshire Council South Lanarkshire Council Stirling Council West Dunbartonshire Council West Lothian Council

If you're renting a property with a private water supply, your landlord has a duty to provide water that's safe to use.

Your local council can help you if you think your water supply isn't safe.

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