South West Water is facing legal action due to a parasite that contaminated the water supply in parts of Devon last summer, resulting in dozens of cases of illness.
Over 140 people were confirmed to have contracted a diarrheal disease, which also causes stomach pains and vomiting, typicallly lasting about two weeks. Four individuals were hospitalized as a result.
Around 16,000 households and businesses in the Brixham area were advised by the water company not to consume their tap water without boiling it first.
A water tank at Hillhead reservoir was found to contain the parasite, according to the company at the time. The contamination caused significant disruptions in the area, including holiday cancellations and the closure of a school.
The Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) issued a summons to the company for potential offenses under section 70(1) of the Water Industry Act 1991, making it a criminal offense for a water company to supply water unfit for human consumption.
Marcus Rink, the chief inspector of the DWI, stated, “The Brixham incident was serious with significant impact on the public and the wider community. Therefore, I consider it appropriate to pass the matter to the court to consider the evidence in the public interest.”
Caroline Voaden, the Liberal Democrat MP for South Devon, praised the DWI’s decision, saying, “It’s important we find out exactly what South West Water knew, and when, and why they told people the water was safe to drink when it wasn’t.”
“Many of my constituents still don’t trust the drinking water and are paying for bottled water more than a year after the outbreak. The incident affected the entire community, impacted businesses, harmed the local economy, and, most importantly, caused severe illnesses. It’s taken a long time to reach this point, but finally, we are seeing South West Water held accountable.”
A spokesperson for South West Water stated, “We will reflect on this summons. South West Water has cooperated fully with the Drinking Water Inspectorate from the start of this incident to aid in its investigations. We take this incident extremely seriously and will continue to engage fully in response to these legal proceedings. In the meantime, our focus remains on providing clean, safe drinking water to our 2 million customers across Cornwall, Devon, and the Isles of Scilly.”
