Is Lancashire Water Safe to Drink Now?
Lancashire water supplies declared safe now – http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-lancashire-34169201
Traces of the microbial parasite cryptosporidium, which can cause stomach upsets has been found in the water in the Lancashire area, and authorities put out a warning to individuals living in the More than 300,000 households in Lancashire, which includes Chorley, Fylde, South Ribble, Blackpool, Preston, Wyre and the Mellor area of Blackburn to boil all their water before drinking.
While authorities have said that samples have improved, and there are only low levels of the parasite in the water, they wanted to run more tests before giving the all-clear. Investigations into just how the traces of cryptosporidium got into Franklaw water treatment works outside Preston are ongoing.
Jo Harrison, from United Utilities, said: “Our teams are continuing to investigate the problems, it’s very complex as you can image. We are hoping that we will get some better news by the middle of the week but we need to make sure the system is absolutely safe before we allow people to drink the water again. We want to make sure that we get a complete series of clear samples for a good period of time before we change our advice.”
Leaflets were distributed to many of the affected businesses and homes that were affected over the past weekend, offering advice:
- Use tap water for general domestic purposes such as bathing, flushing toilets or washing clothes
- All water for drinking, food preparation and brushing teeth should be boiled as a precaution
- It is safe to eat food after washing your hands
- Using boiled water for washing dishes is the best practice
- Dishwashers are safe as long the setting is at 65 degrees or above
Cryptosporidium is a microscopic parasite which lives in, or on, other organisms and can be found in the environment in a form called an oocyst, but when ingested by humans can cause diarrhoea and abdominal cramping, which can seriously affect those with weak immune systems.
Kate Brierley, deputy director for Public Health England in Cumbria and Lancashire, said: “We are recommending people to boil the water before they drink it or brush their teeth. Most people would just get a mild tummy upset which might last for a few days or a little bit longer. If somebody’s immune system is upset for some reason – either because they have an illness or because of treatment like chemotherapy – they are more vulnerable than the general public.”
According to the water company, compensation for affected businesses would be considered once the problem was resolved.
For now, it may be better to rely on bottled water or water from a water cooler with a good water filter that could filter out all toxins and impurities.
Water cooler rental London from Living-Water. Get a office water cooler for your business.
