IWNL amends notice to Do Not Drink

Independent Water Networks Limited (IWNL) amended its Do Not Use Notice (DNU) for the Marleigh estate in Cambridge to a Do Not Drink Notice (DND) at 16:15 on 22 January 2024¹. The original DNU had been issued at approximately 19:15 on 18 January 2024, instructing consumers "not to use their water for any purposes except flushing toilets"¹.

The DND was lifted for all customers at 14:17 on 24 January 2024, following satisfactory water sample test results¹. The affected area consisted of residential properties on a new build estate, along with 7 non-domestic properties, including a primary school and a nursery¹. IWNL did not share specific details about the potential contaminant in its communications, and had not confirmed the cause at the time of the research¹.

The account comes from research commissioned by Ofwat and CCW and carried out by Blue Marble, which conducted qualitative research with 24 people from within the Marleigh estate, with fieldwork in March 2024¹. The report records the support provided during the incident, including bottled water made available on-site at the Marleigh estate, up to £100 per household per night for hotels or Airbnb, refunding laundry costs, and refunding the use of shower facilities at gyms¹. Food trucks were provided by Hill, the construction company that developed the Marleigh estate, at the start of the incident¹.

The research found that the majority adhered to the DNU and DND notices, though occasional slip-ups were noted, and that compliance waned among some participants over time for the DNU¹. Participants were disappointed to learn that DNUs and DNDs were not included in the Guaranteed Standards Scheme (GSS), and awareness of the Priority Services Register (PSR) was low, though few of the sample were eligible¹. One participant received £35 compensation after following up on test results, citing a contract clause outlining expected timelines¹.

Why it matters for households

The change from a Do Not Use Notice to a Do Not Drink Notice meant that water could be used for purposes other than drinking, while the instruction not to drink it remained in place until the notice was lifted on 24 January 2024¹. The research records that some participants would have boiled water had the DNU not specified this was unsafe¹. Households with young children reported the most severe challenges in adjusting daily routines, while child-free households found it easier to adapt or stay elsewhere¹. The primary frustration participants expressed was the lack of information about the cause of the incident¹. The Do Not Drink and Do Not Use Notices guide explains how these notices work, and the water hub covers wider supply incidents.

What happens next

The research report was published in August 2024 and sets out findings for Ofwat and CCW to improve companies' responses to incidents¹. IWNL had not confirmed the cause at the time of the research¹. No further dated steps are given in the report.