Devon water infections may increase in next two weeks

The number of people infected with a waterborne disease following a parasite outbreak in south Devon is likely to increase for up to two weeks, a public health boss has warned.

- TARA COBHAM

The UK Health Security Agency said on Friday that 46 cases of cryptosporidium, a disease that can cause unpleasant symptoms such as diarrhoea and vomiting, had been confirmed in Brixham after people drank water feared to be contaminated with a waterborne parasite.

Around 16,000 households and businesses were told not to use their tap water for drinking without boiling and cooling it first, as more cases are anticipated. South West Water (SWW) said yesterday that around 14,500 households in the Alston supply area can now use their tap water safely, although some 2,500 properties in Hillhead, upper parts of Brixham and Kingswear, should continue to boil their supply before drinking it.

Residents of the fishing town have complained of a lack of contact with the area's water supplier South West Water. Its chief executive, Susan Davy, was forced to apologise for the outbreak on Friday, saying she was "truly sorry".

Conservative MP Anthony Mangnall, whose Totnes constituency includes Brixham, vowed that “heads are going to roll" after "an absolutely disastrous week", describing the anger as "palpable". Lincoln Sargeant, Torbay's director of public health, warned that while the initial contamination has been "more or less dealt with", delays in symptoms developing may cause the number of cases to increase for "up to two weeks".

He said the waterborne disease was "unpleasant but self-limiting" for most people, while it was "vulnerable people who are at risk for more severe illness". Dr Sargeant added: "It's important for listeners to recognise that in terms of the initial contamination that we think is more or less dealt with. So with the boiled water notice, with bottled water, we are pretty sure now that no one needs to continue to be affected by contaminated water.