Devon residents urged to boil water after confirmed disease cases

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Link: Devon residents urged to boil water after confirmed disease cases - BBC News

 

People across south Devon have been advised to boil their tap water after 16 cases of a diarrhoea-type illness were confirmed.

 

A further 70 suspected cases are also being investigated.

 

The UK Health Security Agency said cryptosporidium was "predominantly a waterborne disease".

 

Infections can be caused by drinking contaminated water or swallowing it in swimming pools or streams.

 

South West Water has urged residents across Brixham, Boohay, Kingswear, Roseland and north-east Paignton to boil their tap water.

 

Chris Rockey, from South West Water (SWW), said people should boil water to drink, cook and cleaning their teeth with in the affected areas.

 

He said the firm would continue to work with "health professionals and monitor the water".

 

SWW started its investigation after it was contacted by the UK Health Security Agency on Monday, he said.

 

SWW said it was confident boiled water was safe.

 

Mr Rockey said he was unable to provide a timeframe for how long residents should continue to boil water.

 

He said further advice would be issued when the water supply had "returned to normal".

 

'Enormously frustrating'

 

​Conservative MP for Totnes Anthony Mangnall said: “It is enormously frustrating that South West Water weren’t quicker to respond at the first point at when this was reported.

 

“It started with an initial denial that it was anything to do with their network and of course they have now found the cryptosporidium is in their network and they are responding.

 

“Residents were quick to actually point out there was something wrong with the water, they could taste it, and now they are suffering.”

 

Mr Mangnall said: “What I want to see is for them to address the problem, fix it as quickly as possible and make sure the support for residents is there both now and into the future so they can have confidence in their drinking water.”

 

Mr Rockey said the increased number of people who fell unwell in the Brixham area had led to the water company undertaking additional monitoring.

 

SWW said, external "small traces of the organism" were identified overnight and on Wednesday morning in the Hillhead section of its network.

 

It said: "We apologise for the inconvenience caused and will continue to keep customers and businesses updated.

 

"Bottled water stations will be set up in the affected areas as soon as possible."

 

The firm said unboiled water could continue to be used for washing, bathing and toilet flushing.

 

The UK Health Security Agency said it was working with Torbay Council, South West Water (SWW), NHS Devon and the Environment Agency to investigate the cases.

 

BBC reporter Heidi Davey, at Broadsands Beach car park, said "dozens" of SWW teams had been loading vans to distribute water.

 

She said water was being taken to vulnerable residents and there were "hundreds of names" on a delivery list.

 

Anne Kelly-Groucutt, who runs Hortus House, in Brixham, said she believed her business had been affected by the incident.

 

She said two cancellations were made on Tuesday following cryptosporidium reports.

 

She said one booking was cancelled after just a matter of minutes.

 

"It's a little concerning," she said.

 

"In the history of us having the B&B we have never had a cancellation within 10 minutes of a booking."