Boil Water Notice still in place after South West Water cryptosporidium outbreak, as company posts £166.3m in profits

The number of cases of illness following the cryptosporidium outbreak grows as South West Water's parent company posted £166.3 in profits. 

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said on Tuesday 57 people had been affected, a rise of 11 cases since Friday, and said more cases are expected to be confirmed this week.

It came on the day Pennon Group, the parent company of South West Water (SWW), which supplies the area and has apologised for the outbreak, announced an 8.6% increase in underlying operating profits to £166.3m.

In a statement released yesterday, a spokesperson for South West Water said: “Our teams continue to work at pace to resolve the situation in the Hillhead supply area. The boil water notice continues to remain in place to around 2,500 households in the Hillhead supply area. 

“Our investigation into the damaged air valve installation on private land, which we believe to be the probable cause, continues. Following the draining and cleaning of the reservoir, we have refilled the largest of the two tanks within the reservoir and have isolated the second tank.

“The health and safety of our customers remains our absolute priority. Early yesterday morning (20 May), we began flushing of the wider Hillhead network as we work to eliminate any traces of cryptosporidium. We will not lift the boil water notice in Hillhead until we and our public health partners are completely satisfied it is safe to do so. 

“We would like to thank our customers for their patience as we work around the clock to resolve the situation. 

“Our bottled water stations in Broadsands, Freshwater Quarry and Churston remain open to customers across the Brixham area between 7am and 9pm daily."

"Compensation has been increased to £215 for those customers still subject to boil water advice in the Hillhead, upper Brixham and Kingswear areas. This payment will be made automatically where we have direct debit details or applied as a credit to their next water bill where we do not."

Affected businesses should contact SWW’s customer service team on 03332 343 293 to fast track any compensation claims.

Anthony Mangnall, Member of Parliament for Totnes and South Devon, raised the issue in Parliament of South West Water’s recent conduct in Brixham and the surrounding area.

On Monday 20th May, Mr Mangnall tabled an Urgent Question on behalf of the people of South Devon, asking the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to comment on the situation in the Brixham area, where there has recently been an outbreak of cryptosporidium.

Mr Mangnall took the opportunity to "thank the teams that have been working hard to support those affected". He asked the Secretary of State to confirm that independent monitoring of the water network would continue and that a full investigation would be launched into South West Water’s handling of the issue.

The Secretary of State, Steve Barclay MP, confirmed that there will be a thorough investigation into the issue and urged South West Water to cooperate fully and in a timely fashion. He highlighted the work that has been ongoing since Monday, 13 May, both at a local and national level.

The boil notice has been lifted for 85% of those initially affected, some 32,000 residents in 14,500 properties, which includes businesses in the centre of Brixham. Mr Barclay also stated that all tests on the Alston reservoir have been clear, meaning that those 32,000 residents were never subject to any water issues and the boil notice was applied on a precautionary basis.

He reassured MPs that the Hillhead reservoir has now been drained, cleaned and refills, while a flush of the network to remove traces of cryptosporidium detected in the system, has commenced. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is working with South West Water and the Drinking Water Inspectorate to fully investigate and minimise disruption for the remaining residents.

Commenting after his Urgent Question, Anthony Mangnall MP said: "I am determined that we get the answers to our questions when it comes to finding out how this happened, why the handling was so poor, and why regular inspections appear to have not been carried out.

"Additionally, it is essential that independent testing continues on our water network until confidence has been restored.

"The answer to these questions and repairing the damage done is essential for our precious coastal community.

"I would like to reiterate that Brixham is open for business as usual, and highlight that the boil notice that was issued for those within the Alston service area was purely precautionary. Our hospitality, tourism and retail businesses are open and ready to welcome residents and tourists alike, so I hope people will get out and support them through the Bank Holiday weekend.

"The community spirit of Brixham has shone through and reminded us all that in difficult times, we pull together in the most remarkable ways.

"South West Water is holding drop in session for customers who are still affected by the boil notice, which will be held at Scala Hall in Brixham.

"Experts from the business will be on hand to answer questions surrounding water quality, networks, support for businesses and compensation claims, help for vulnerable customers and customer service and information on public health."

These sessions will be held on –

Wednesday 22nd May,1pm – 5pm
Thursday 23rd May, midday – 5pm
Friday 24th May, midday – 7pm
Residents are asked to sign up via the South West Water website to book a slot: southwestwater.co.uk/brixham-drop-in 

Check your postcode against the affected areas on the SWW website: www.southwestwater.co.uk/household/help-support/service-updates