I've got a whine and there's play in the water pump pulley??

I've had a whine that comes and goes. It's mostly there in the morning when cold but can come occasionally when warm, it's gotten worse over 3 months. I presumed it was the gearbox but today i dipped the clutch and it was still there. I checked under the bonnet and there's about 1mm of play on the waterpump pulley…is this right or could that be the squeel culprit?

Thanks

As its been going for a while, it could be the alternator belt/tensioner.
try getting a new belt fitted (belt would only cost about ?5.00). If the old one was a bit loose then it would have over stretched and would whine when tightened.  

If this doesn't cure it, try the cambelt tensioner, but the belt would most have probably slipped by now and you would have know.

we can but try.

sounds like the impeller bearings on the water pump, ihad this problem a while back, i took it off, tried a replacement which was leaky so put the old one back and wierdly the whining had stopped and its been fine ever since, strange but true!