Yahoo News West Country school forced to close after parasite found in water supply
A primary school in the West Country has been forced to close today (Thursday, May 16) following confirmation from South West Water (SWW) of a parasite contaminating the drinking water. Eden Park Primary School in Brixham, Devon, announced it would not be welcoming pupils due to the outbreak.
Despite earlier assurances to residents that tests were clear, SWW disclosed yesterday afternoon (Wednesday) that a 'small trace' of the Cryptosporidium parasite had been detected in Brixham's water supply, reports Devon Live. Residents in the affected area were advised to consume boiled and cooled tap water to prevent infection.
To provide residents with safe drinking water, bottled water stations were established on Wednesday (May 15). However, Eden Park Primary informed parents last night that they had not received any bottled water.
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In a message to parents, Eden Park stated that it would remain closed on Thursday as it could not safely accommodate students without clean drinking water. The full statement released last night said: "Eden Park Primary School were only informed this afternoon (15/5/24) that the school was in an area where the tap water should be boiled."
"The school have taken swift action to put safety plans in place and contact the appropriate authorities about providing safe drinking water."
"At the time of writing this update (7.30pm), and despite repeated calls to South West Water about the urgency of the situation, the school has not received any bottled water or assurances of when water will be delivered. To enable parents and carers to make childcare plans for the morning, leaders have made the difficult decision to close the school tomorrow, Thursday 16th May."
"All Year 6 children should attend the school as usual, to complete their final SATs paper in the morning. They should bring their own full water bottle and be collected at 11:15am. The school will also provide bottled water for children and staff in school tomorrow. No other children should attend the school."
"A further update will be provided tomorrow afternoon, regarding the opening the school on Friday 17th May. Thank you for understanding with this rapidly changing situation."
It is believed that hundreds of residents are suffering from a variety of symptoms including watery diarrhoea, stomach pains, nausea or vomiting, a mild fever, and loss of appetite.
Cryptosporidium is a parasite that can inhabit the intestines and faeces of infected humans and animals. It can spread through swimming in or consuming contaminated water, but can also be transmitted through food.
A spokesperson for South West Water issued a warning, stating: "Customers in Alston and the Hillhead area of Brixham are advised to boil their drinking water before consuming following new test results for cryptosporidium. We are issuing this notice following small traces of the organism identified overnight and this morning.
"We are working with the UK Health Security Agency and other public health partners to urgently investigate and eliminate the source. We apologise for the inconvenience caused and will continue to keep customers and businesses updated. Bottled water stations will be set up in the affected areas as soon as possible."
