Thousands told they can safely drink tap water again

THOUSANDS of people can now safely drink their tap water again after days of being told to boil it first following a parasite outbreak, the region’s water supplier has announced.

About 16,000 households and businesses in the Brixham area of Devon, supplied by South West Water (SWW), had been told not to use their tap water for drinking without boiling and cooling it first.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said on Friday that 46 cases of cryptosporidium, a disease which can cause unpleasant symptoms such as diarrhoea and vomiting, had been confirmed in the town and that more cases were anticipated.

SWW said around 14,500 households in the Alston supply area can now use their tap water safely, although some 2,500 properties in Hillhead, upper parts of Brixham and Kingswear should continue to boil their supply before drinking it.

The water company said the decision yesterday came after “rigorous testing” and was made in consultation with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the local authority’s environmental health department.

SWW chief customer officer Laura Flowerdew said: “Following rigorous testing this week, it is now safe to lift the boil water notice in the Alston water supply area. This decision has been supported by the Government’s public health experts and the local authority’s environmental health department.

“This situation has caused an immense amount of disruption, distress and anxiety. We are truly sorry this has happened.

“The public rightly expect a safe, clean and reliable source of drinking water and on this occasion, we have fallen significantly short of expectations. We will not stop working until this has been fully resolved.”

SWW added that an additional £100 compensation will be paid to affected customers in the areas which continue to be affected.

Conservative MP Anthony Mangnall, whose Totnes constituency includes Brixham, had previously said SWW’s response to the outbreak was “contemptible and just generally incompetent”.

Responding to the announcement that thousands of households can now safely drink their tap water, he said: “The illness suffered and inability to access safe drinking water has been totally unacceptable.”