Water, Water Everywhere … Majority of Water in English Village Now Safe to Drink Following Parasite Outbreak

Residents living near the scenic fishing village of Brixham in southwestern England can finally breathe a sigh of relief as South West Water announced on Saturday that the boil notice has been lifted for most of the 17,000 homes and businesses in the area. This comes after more than 45 people fell ill due to cryptosporidium, a microscopic parasite found in the water.

The U.K. Health Security Agency confirmed at least 46 cases of cryptosporidiosis, with over 100 other individuals reporting similar symptoms. The parasite can cause diarrhea that lasts for more than two weeks, leading to significant disruption and distress for the affected residents.

Water company spokesperson Laura Flowerdew expressed regret over the situation, acknowledging that they had fallen short of expectations in providing safe drinking water. The outbreak, which was unrelated to the country’s larger water issues, highlighted the challenges faced by an aging water system under stress.

South West Water is currently facing charges for illegal water discharges and breaches of environmental permits between 2015 and 2021. Flowerdew suggested that the outbreak may have originated from a damaged air valve near a reservoir where cows graze.

The incident forced a primary school to close temporarily due to a lack of clean drinking water, with the water company distributing over 386,000 water bottles to its customers. Despite the challenges, the community can now look forward to returning to normalcy with the assurance of safe drinking water once again.