A disease outbreak in drinking water supplies in south Devon has left 16,000 people unable to use their tap water without boiling it as South West Water scrambles to solve the issue – which may have been caused by cow faeces leaking into water pipes.
A South West Water boss has refused to give a timeline on when a notice to boil tap water will be lifted after a parasite was found in a key reservoir.
Speaking to Sky News, Laura Flowerdue, the company’s chief customer officer, confirmed the suggestion it was likely a broken air valve contaminated by animal faeces that had caused the incident which left dozens ill and thousands unable to drink tap water.
However, she refused to give a timeframe on how long the incident would run on for – leaving thousands of residents facing an uncertain future.
She said: “We’re still working through the operational processes to ensure we can absolutely link the root causes.
“We then need to take steps to repair any damage and then make sure we flush any issues through the network… before we lift the notice.”
When pressed on how long it would take, she said: “We are working hard to be able to give more decisive information about that timeline.
“At this stage we absolutely want to ensure we’re giving the right information to customers.”
It comes after residents in parts of south Devon were told to boil their drinking water on Wednesday after the water firm found “small traces” of the parasite cryptosporidium – which causes cryptosporidiosis – in the Hillhead reservoir.
At first, it said the water was safe to drink, but then backtracked and had to issue a boil notice to 16,000 households and businesses in Brixham, Boohay, Kingswear, Roseland and North West Paignton.
The UK Health Security Agency said 22 people are confirmed to have contracted the disease, with as many as 70 other cases under investigation.
Ms Flowerdue said: “We have identified that there is a damaged air valve on the network near the Hillhead Reservoir – but we absolutely want to make sure that’s the only source [of the contamination].
“We understand this a valve on one of the pipes heading towards the reservoir in a farmer’s field, there are cattle in the field and it’s a possibility that’s the source of the contamination.”
South West Water previously apologised for the disease outbreak in Devon after the parasite was found in the key reservoir.
The water company belatedly increased the compensation offered to affected customers from £15 to £100 to “say sorry for the stress and worry the situation has caused”.
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