LONDON – Most residents living near a picturesque fishing village in southwest England where a parasite in the water sickened more than 45 people were told Saturday they could safely drink the water again.
South West Water said it has lifted the boil advisory for most of the 17,000 homes and businesses around the Brixham area of Devon that were affected after cryptosporidium, a microscopic parasite that causes diarrhea, was found in the water.
At least 46 cases of cryptosporidiosis have been confirmed and more than 100 other people have reported similar symptoms, the UK’s Health Security Agency said. Symptoms can last more than two weeks.
The water company said it consulted with public health officials before lifting the boil advisory for all but about 2,500 customers after rigorous testing showed the water was safe for most of the area.
“This situation has caused immense disruption, anguish and anxiety. We are very sorry this happened,” said water company spokeswoman Laura Flowerdew. “The public rightly expects a safe, clean and reliable source of drinking water and on this occasion we have fallen significantly short of expectations.”
The outbreak announced on Wednesday was not related to Britain’s larger water problems, but rather emblematic of an aging and imperiled system.
Water companies have been under pressure for more than a year to stop frequent sewage overflows into rivers and oceans that have literally caused stench, sickened swimmers, polluted fishing streams and led to public protests to clean up their act.
South West Water faces charges at Plymouth Magistrates’ Court alleging 30 offenses for illegal water discharges or breaches of environmental licenses between 2015 and 2021, the Environment Agency said.
Flowerdew said Friday that the outbreak may have come from a damaged air valve in a pipe running through a field where cows graze, near a reservoir.
An elementary school was forced to close Thursday because it had no drinking water. The water company said it provided 386,000 bottles of water to its customers.
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