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Water parasite outbreak report 'taking too long'

BBC A woman stands outside a town hall where people are gathering for a public meeting. The woman is wearing a purple jumper and black winter coat.BBC
Brixham resident Tanya Matthews said it was "frustrating" how long it was taking for the Drinking Water Inspectorate to publish its report into the outbreak

Concerns are being raised over how long an investigation into a water parasite outbreak in Devon is taking.

On 15 May 2024 cryptosporidium was confirmed in the water supply in and around Brixham, which led to more than 100 confirmed cases of the diarrhoea-type illness and thousands of households being advised to boil their tap water.

"It's nine months with no official answers" said Brixham resident, Tanya Matthews, who was unwell along with other members of her family.

The Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) said: "We are progressing the investigation at pace and findings will be published as and when appropriate".

A woman stands outside a town hall style building where people are gathering for a meeting. She is wearing a patterned black and white dress and has sunglasses sitting on top of her head.
Kingswear resident Helen Ireland said the report into the outbreak was "taking too long"

Kingswear resident Helen Ireland, who was also ill along with members of her family, said: "While this is still ongoing, it's frustrating because no-one has been held accountable.

"I would have expected some interim information by now, even if they hadn't produced the full report."

Ben Birchall/PA Wire A shot from above a car park with pallets of water bottles stacked in the middle and cars queueing to collect the bottles. There are people in high-vis jackets handing out the packs of water bottles. Ben Birchall/PA Wire
Initially, about 16,000 households in and around Brixham were issued with a "boil water notice"

Previously, South West Water (SWW) said it believed the parasite had entered the supply network through a damaged valve on a pipe that runs through private land and it had replaced the damaged air-valve casing.

The company also said it had added additional safety measures following the incident including a "triple layer of protection", with microfilters and UV at supply tanks and in-line microfiltration in the local supply zone, to provide additional barriers.

In a statement SWW said: "This was a rare situation and the priority was, and remains to be, the health and wellbeing of our customers.

"As soon as cryptosporidium was confirmed in our network we quickly issued boil water notices and worked as fast as possible to put interventions in place.

"We regularly test our water supply and we have enhanced procedures in place so our customers can be reassured that their water remains safe to drink."

'May result in criminal proceedings'

In a statement the DWI said: "As the Inspectorate's investigations may result in criminal proceedings, it is essential that the Inspectorate conduct a thorough and complete investigation to ensure suitable enforcement action is pursued, if appropriate.

"The complex nature of these investigations inherently takes time to ensure the evidence is robust."

The statement thanked the public for their "ongoing patience" and said it was "progressing the investigation at pace".

"Findings will be published as and when appropriate depending on any enforcement action that may result", it added.

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