Devon water crisis – live: MP brands South West Water ‘contemptible and incompetent’ as parasite infections rise
Cases of waterborne disease in Devon likely to increase for ‘up to two weeks’, public health boss warns
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Your support makes all the difference.An MP has branded a water company “contemptible and incompetent” as the number of people infected with a waterborne parasite in Devon continues to rise.
South West Water (SWW) has been blamed amid fears drinking contaminated tap water is what has led to more than 100 residents falling ill in the area of Brixham, which the company supplies with water.
Anthony Mangnall, the MP for Totnes and South Devon, said on Saturday that the firm’s response to the crisis has “put a lot of people’s health at risk”.
Chief executive of SWW, Susan Davy, was forced to apologise on Friday over the outbreak, saying she was “truly sorry”.
It comes as SWW said 14,500 households can now drink their tap water safely – however, 2,500 properties in Hillhead, upper parts of Brixham, and Kingswear have been advised to continue to boil their water beforehand.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said on Friday that 46 cases of parasite cryptosporidium had been confirmed in Brixham, up from 22 cases on Thursday, while more than 100 people reported symptoms, including diarrhoea, stomach pains and dehydration.
Dr Lincoln Sargeant, Torbay’s director of public health, has warned the number of infections may continue to increase for “up to two weeks” due to delays in symptoms developing.
Water supplier says damaged air valve ‘potential source leading to parasite in water network’
A damaged air valve on a pipe in a field containing cattle has been identified as a potential source leading to the existence of small traces of parasite in a local water network.
South West Water’s (SWW) chief customer officer, Laura Flowerdew, said it is possible that cattle manure caused the contamination.
“We have identified that there is a damaged air valve on our network just near the Hillhead reservoir but we absolutely want to make sure that that is the only source,” she told Sky News.
Asked if it was animal faeces that infiltrated the network, she said: “We understand that this is a valve on one of the pipes that head towards the Hillhead reservoir, not on the reservoir itself.
“It’s in a farmer’s field and I understand that there are cattle in that field and therefore there’s a possibility that that is therefore the source of the contamination.”
She added that work is still under way to determine the cause of the contamination but that the damaged air valve “does look like it’s a potential source”.
Devon MP calls water company’s reaction to crisis ‘contemptible’ and ‘incompetent’
Conservative MP Anthony Mangnall, whose Totnes constituency includes Brixham, said SWW’s response to the parasite outbreak in the seaside town had been inadequate.
“The predominant failure is the fact that earlier in the week, South West Water was asked whether or not this was to do with their network and they categorically ruled it out, only for them to change their position 24 hours later, which I think is contemptible and just generally incompetent - and it’s put a lot of people’s health at risk,” he told the PA news agency yesterday.
Mr Mangnall added that SWW had failed to “safeguard public health” and would “be absolutely on the line” to compensate local businesses which have lost money because of the outbreak.
Devon businesses suffer losses due to contaminated water crisis
As the UK Health Security Agency announced there had been 46 confirmed cases, with more than 100 people reporting similar symptoms on Friday afternoon, Keith Johnson, who runs Rio’s Fish & Chips, says he’s had no customers in the first hour-and-a-half of lunchtime opening, reports Alex Ross.
Johnson, who took over after moving from the West Midlands, says the outbreak of an illness caused by the parasite cryptosporidium has rocked the town.
“We’ve been blacklisted,” he says. “No-one is around, it’s so obvious. We usually get coach drops coming in during the week, but we’ve had nothing and the hotels have reported cancellations.
Residents unhappy with water company’s handling of the crisis
People living in the Devon area affected by the waterborne parasite outbreak are dissatisfied with the water company’s response to the situation.
South West Water (SWW) say they have found the source of the parasite and CEO Susan Davy said she was “truly sorry”. The company first announced £115 in compensation to affected customers, which has now been raised to an additional £100.
“It is typical of a corporate company throwing a small amount of money at the situation to try to keep people quiet,” caretaker Bryon Freer, who lives just 800m from the Hillhead reservoir, says.
Anthony Mangnall, MP for Totnes, a constituency which includes Brixham, said he was aware of concerns over the quality of drinking water in the town.
“I am very concerned about SWW’s response to this situation, as they have been slow to act and communication with customers has been very poor,” said Mr Mangnall.
Devon residents told tap water safe to drink without boiling
Thousands of households in Devon can safely drink their tap water without boiling it first, the area’s water supplier South West Water (SWW) announced after a parasite outbreak led to hundreds falling ill.
About 14,500 households in the Alston supply have been told they can drink their water safely, while 2,500 properties in Hillhead, the upper parts of Brixham and Kingswear still have to follow the advisory to boil their water before drinking.
The water supplier said that a “rigorous testing” of the water along with a consultation with the UK Health Security Agency and local authority’s environmental health department led to the decision yesterday.
SWW has also added that an additional £100 compensation, on top of the £115 that was announced earlier, would be paid to affected customers.
Close to 16,000 households and businesses in the region were told earlier this week not to use their tap water for drinking without boiling and cooling it first.
Welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of Devon’s water parasite outbreak.
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