Professor issues 10-day warning over infected water outbreak

Cases of cryptosporidium, a waterborne disease caused by a microscopic parasite, will be seen in the Brixham area of Devon for at least the next 10 days, a professor has said. Asked if for lots of residents the parasite could still be in the incubation period, Paul Hunter, professor in medicine at the University of East Anglia (UEA) told BBC Breakfast: “Absolutely.

“One of the problems when you’re investigating outbreaks like this is that the incubation period can be about 10 days to two weeks, so often in the past when I’ve been involved in investigating outbreaks by the time you know you’ve got a problem, the problem has resolved itself anyway, but you can’t guarantee that.

“Yeah, even if they have stopped all new infections by now, you would expect to see further cases for at least 10 days to two weeks.”

22 people have been confirmed to have contracted the buig with hundreds of cases under investigation. 16,000 homes have been told to boil all their water with South West Water handing out bottled supplied to the public and delivering water to vulnerable customers.

A school has closed as it does not have clean water for the children, and all customers have been told they will get a £115 compensation payment.

South West Water believe they have located the source of the issue but are continuing their investigations. The boil water notice remains in place. Advice to customers is to not drink your tap water without first boiling it and allowing it to cool. This applies to water used for drinking, cooking, preparing food or brushing teeth. Boiled water can be stored in a covered container in the fridge for up to 24 hours. You may use normal tap water for washing, bathing and toilet flushing.

Ministers are receiving regular updates on the situation and meeting with senior representatives from South West Water and the local authority to ensure every step is taken to resolve the situation and return clean water supplies as soon as possible.

Water Minister Robbie Moore said: “I am receiving regular updates South West Water, who are working with the Drinking Water Inspectorate and UK Health Security Agency, to identify the source of the contamination. We need South West Water to resolve this issue and ensure clean water returns to the Brixham area as soon as possible.

“I will also be working with the local authority, MPs and other partners locally to ensure the local community is supported during this time. I can assure residents that boiled water is safe and I ask them to continue to follow the boiling measures as advised.”