Displaying items by tag: Devon

South West Water (SWW) has stated that the cost of addressing the cryptosporidium outbreak in Devon will be covered by shareholders, not customers. The outbreak affected up to 16,000 households, with about 700 still being advised to boil their tap water. SWW estimated compensation costs up to £3.5 million but assured customers this would not impact their bills. The exact compensation amount for those affected remains unknown. SWW has installed equipment to remove the parasite and flushed the water network 27 times, apologising and thanking customers for their patience. By the end of May, at least 100 confirmed cases of cryptosporidium, which causes diarrhoea and sickness, had been reported. In related news, all the major political parties have been urged to follow the recommendations of the Save Britain’s Rivers campaign: so far, only the Lib Dems have committed to this. See

More than fifty cases of cryptosporidium have been confirmed in Brixham, Devon; around 17,000 households were instructed to boil their water. The Health Security Agency reported 57 cases, up by eleven since last Friday, with more expected. Pennon Group, South West Water's parent company, announced £3.5m in compensation for affected customers while reporting £166.3m in profits. The boil water notice has been lifted for 14,500 homes but remains for 2,500. The outbreak, probably caused by animal faeces entering a damaged pipe, has led to increased health measures and support for local businesses.