Boil water notice issued to around 17,000 households and businesses in Brixham area

South West Water issued a boil water notice to around 17,000 households and businesses in the Alston and Hillhead water supply areas on Wednesday 15 May 2024, advising them not to use their tap water for drinking without boiling and cooling it first¹. The company said the notice followed the finding of cryptosporidium in the Hillhead supply area in the early hours of that morning, and that the notice covering the Alston supply area was issued at the same time as a necessary precaution¹. A separate South West Water statement put the number of households and businesses issued with the notice at around 16,000². The two figures have not been reconciled in the published statements.

On Saturday 18 May, South West Water reduced the number of customers affected after water quality monitoring confirmed no cryptosporidium in the Alston supply area¹. The company said seven separate tests in the Alston area had found no traces of the organism, and that a sample independently analysed by a third-party laboratory the previous day had also confirmed no contamination¹. It said it was now safe for around 14,500 households in the Alston supply area to use their tap water as normal, while around 2,500 properties in Hillhead, upper parts of Brixham and Kingswear were still advised to boil drinking water before consuming it¹. The decision was made in consultation with the UK Health Security Agency and the local authority's Environmental Health Department¹.

A damaged valve on private land in the Hillhead supply area was identified as the possible cause of the contamination, and had since been isolated from the network and repaired, the company said, adding that it was urgently investigating how this happened and working to rule out other possible sources¹. Later updates described the source as a damaged air valve casing on private land, which was identified, removed and replaced³.

On compensation, South West Water said all household customers issued with the notice would receive an automatic £15 payment under its Customer Promise, increased by £100 in recognition of the concern and frustration caused². Customers with a current Direct Debit arrangement would receive £115 direct to their bank account by 21 May, and those without one would receive £115 credit on their water account². In its 18 May statement the company said an additional £100 would be paid to affected customers in the Hillhead, upper Brixham and Kingswear area, giving each customer a total of £215, paid automatically where direct debit details are held or applied as a credit to the next water bill¹. The two statements describe different totals for different groups of customers.

South West Water said bottled water continued to be delivered to vulnerable customers and to local businesses, including schools and care homes¹. It set up a dedicated helpline for business customers on 03332 343 293, open 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday, and said claims would be fast tracked and reviewed individually¹. Customers unsure whether they were still affected were urged to use the postcode checker on the company's website or to call¹.

Why it matters for households

For households in the Hillhead, upper Brixham and Kingswear areas, the notice remained in place after 18 May. South West Water advised customers not to drink tap water without first boiling it and allowing it to cool, and said this applied to water used for drinking, cooking, preparing food or brushing teeth². Boiled water could be stored in a covered container in the fridge for up to 24 hours, and tap water could be used for washing, bathing and toilet flushing². The company said it would only lift the remaining notice when entirely satisfied it was safe to do so, with regular testing continuing across the network¹. Cryptosporidium can cause sickness and diarrhoea if consumed, the company said, and people who had consumed the water and felt unwell were directed to advice on the UK Health Security Agency's website³. Households can check the boil notice checklist and the guide to what to do if you get a boil water notice; the site also covers cryptosporidium outbreaks and water in an emergency.

What happens next

South West Water said ground teams were working over the weekend and into next week to resolve the issue, and that the remaining notice would be lifted only when it was entirely satisfied it was safe¹. The company said it was continuing to investigate how the contamination happened while ruling out other possible sources in the network¹.