The MP for an area that has seen people falling ill after a cryptosporidium outbreak contaminated drinking water has said its source has now been found by the water supplier. Anthony Mangall, MP for Totnes in Devon, whose constituency covers Brixham where the outbreak has taken place, said South West Water had traced it to a damaged air valve.
On Wednesday SWW confirmed it had detected 'small traces' of the organism in Alston and the Hillhead area of the coastal town - less than 24 hours after stating it was safe to drink the water after all its water supply tests had come back clear. The latest data supplied by the UK Health Security Agency was published on Wednesday, when it announced 22 confirmed cases.
"The boil water notice is therefore likely to be in place for at least a further six or seven days, with bottled water available throughout this period. Vulnerable customers and those on the Priority Services register will continue to receive regular deliveries of bottled water, while those who are unable to access bottled water stations will be able to call SWW to receive a delivery.
"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. This has certainly undermined trust in our water network, and I will certainly keep working with colleagues at DEFRA to ensure SWW are held to account over this issue.