Cryptosporidium - is anyone having to boil their water?

As far as I can remember GSM, the problems with the water industry have been over the past 10 or so years, ie as a result of the lack of investment. I agree that the previous Labour administration did not make changes, but certainly hope that the incoming (fingers crossed) Labour government do so. Your faith in the Conservatives is unfailing, but surely, even you must agree that this situation cannot be allowed to continue unchecked?

Don’t drink the water and brush your teeth using bottled water. How many times have we been told that on certain trips abroad? Who thought we would be thinking that about this country? How standards have dropped, and the top executives seriously overpaid.

chlorine water treatment will not kill cryptosporidium. The only way is personal hygiene ie hand washing. It is commonly spread via animals eg petting zoos

How did it get into the water in the first place? could be simply from infected people swimming or using local streams as toilets

It takes two to tango, the public have a duty of care too

How many children are sent to school while still shedding the crypro spores?

Germanshepherdsmum

The fact is, wwm, Ofwat has not been given the powers you mention. And nor are they likely to be.

Funny isn’t it, but Labour have been in power since the water industry was privatised in 1989 but still it remains privatised. Nobody mentions that.

Nobody mentions that that statement only applies to England either, do they?

Investigation of outbreaks show that most occur as a result of poor water treatment, a much smaller level occurs through another form of infection.

gsm I think that you are wrong in the assumption that they will not be given those powers. Labour has hinted very strongly that it agrees with the committee’s recommendations and in its latest statement Labour has committed to garnering much stronger powers in its dealings with the water companies.

Hinting strongly is not the same as getting legislation through parliament. You may believe that Labour has a magic wand - I don’t. You need to think through exactly what would be involved in giving Ofwat the powers you talk of, and the financial consequences of exercising such powers. ‘Stronger powers’ does not equal the power to remove a private sector employee from office.

This…

Shinamae

This…

Will wait to see if it does load 🤔

Germanshepherdsmum

Hinting strongly is not the same as getting legislation through parliament. You may believe that Labour has a magic wand - I don’t. You need to think through exactly what would be involved in giving Ofwat the powers you talk of, and the financial consequences of exercising such powers. ‘Stronger powers’ does not equal the power to remove a private sector employee from office.

What worries me far more is the fact that the water companies have an absolute monopoly and have failed abysmally to renew and repair the infrastructure, instead choosing to pay out enormous amounts to the directors and shareholders to such an extent it has left some of them on the brink of bankruptcy which the taxpayers have been forced to bail out.

On top of which the taxpayers has paid out untold millions cleaning the beaches and rivers and restocking, only to have the fresh stock killed by the failure to stop pouring sewerage day after day into the rivers.

It is scandalous and wrong.

With regard to Labour’s policy - legislation will be far easier than you are suggesting. You talk of unacceptable levels of power - but what of the power wielded by the water companies whose monopoly has existed without hindrance, to do so much damage to our environment and get very wealthy whilst doing so?

Wait and see - it won’t happen.

Something is going to give I think. This was yesterday’s news.
www.reuters.com/world/uk/thames-water-investors-quit-board-after-bailout-fails-sky-news-says-2024-05-15/
I don’t know about the finances of South West Water, but Thames Water is going to be back in public ownership before much more water passes under the bridge (sorry).

Oh groan 😀

But 🤞 we can hope.

Quentin Letts was on breakfast tv this morning joking about it.

Public ownership won’t come cheap Casdon. The assets will be loaded with debt, for starters …

We are appalled, but so very many aspects of everyday life are now so broken down that we subconsciously think "there goes something else". The elected government seemingly doesn't give a toss: they're busy grovelling to oligarchs and fatcat shareholders, and giving the disabled, the jobless and unpaid carers a good kicking.

I heard someone on the radio remark that if this were France there would street riots on a daily basis. Maybe. But why on earth should ordinary citizens have to resort to that just to remind a government that they have moral responsibilities. Politicians don't hesitate to tell US about moral duties!

Frankly, we're probably just too weary.

karmalady

chlorine water treatment will not kill cryptosporidium. The only way is personal hygiene ie hand washing. It is commonly spread via animals eg petting zoos

How did it get into the water in the first place? could be simply from infected people swimming or using local streams as toilets

It takes two to tango, the public have a duty of care too

How many children are sent to school while still shedding the crypro spores?

i think it is a fair assumption, given that the water company involved are distributing huge amounts of bottled water, that this dreadful outbreak isn't due to someone not having washed their hands properly after having using the toilet.

Germanshepherdsmum

Public ownership won’t come cheap Casdon. The assets will be loaded with debt, for starters …

I know. It doesn’t look as though there is any other option though.

Casdon

Germanshepherdsmum

Public ownership won’t come cheap Casdon. The assets will be loaded with debt, for starters …

I know. It doesn’t look as though there is any other option though.

Not necessarily - there is precedent - the court of appeal ruled that the shareholders were not necessarily due compensation. I forget the exact points - I need to research it, but I don’t think that the assumption that we will compensate the shareholders regardless is correct.

It related to one of the banks I think. Maybe Northern Rock?

I wasn’t talking about shareholders but lenders who will have a charge over assets.

No idea about the case you can’t remember …

Southwest Water CEO
customers

Dear Customer,

I wanted to provide an update on what’s happening in Brixham, south Devon.

Your health and safety is our first and foremost priority. That’s why, on Wednesday 15 May, we advised those in the affected area to boil their drinking water before consuming it, following test results indicating the presence of cryptosporidium at Hillhead.

Recent tests showed that water leaving our treatment works was clear. However, in the early hours of Wednesday morning, we detected small traces of cryptosporidium in the Hillhead area of Brixham. Working with the UK Health Security Agency, we moved quickly to issue a boil water notice to affected customers and businesses.

Since then, our ground technicians have been working around the clock to identify the source of the contamination and rectify the situation so we can resume a normal water supply. While we urgently find and fix the problem, we have been delivering bottled water to vulnerable customers and to local businesses, including schools. We have also made bottled water available to residents in the local area.

I understand the significant impact the boil water notice has had on daily life. In recognition of this burden, our compensation payment will be increased to £115. This payment will be made automatically, where we have direct debit details, or applied as a credit to your next water bill, where we do not. You do not need to take any action.

To those in the affected area and our customers across the South West, I am truly sorry for the disruption and wider anxiety this has caused. While incidents like these are thankfully very rare, our customers expect a safe, clean, and reliable source of drinking water. I know on this occasion we have fallen significantly short of what you expect of us.

We will be providing updates, including on our website homepage and ‘In Your Area’ section, with additional information on Facebook. Our team is also available to answer your questions.

All of us at South West Water live and work in the region, just like you. It is our home and a place we love. I am sorry this has happened.

I promise you that we will not stop working until the situation has been resolved and drinking water returns to the quality level you expect.

Yours sincerely,

Susan Davy signature

This is the River Lim which flows into Lyme Regis, Dorset:
An idyllic river has been declared 'ecologically dead' after the amount of human waste overflowing into it tripled in under a year. The River Lim in west Dorset used to be a thriving ecosystem with trout, eels and kingfishers populating the area.
As someone upthread said, if this was France we'd be protesting in the streets. But most of us just shrug our shoulders.

Whitewavemark2

Germanshepherdsmum

How does a government minister sack an executive in the private sector petra?

Use your imagination! The government has bailed more than one water company out as a result of overpaying themselves and their shareholders. It is a disgrace.

I’m obviously missing something here. OfWat issue the licence to operate but have no power to rescind said licence.
Who thought that was a good idea 🤦🏼‍♀️

Germanshepherdsmum

The fact is, wwm, Ofwat has not been given the powers you mention. And nor are they likely to be.

Funny isn’t it, but Labour have been in power since the water industry was privatised in 1989 but still it remains privatised. Nobody mentions that.

Why are you being so complacent GSM ? This is a serious problem ! No time for a wait and see while people are being taken ill. Complacency is a huge problem here in Britain.

HousePlantQueen

karmalady

chlorine water treatment will not kill cryptosporidium. The only way is personal hygiene ie hand washing. It is commonly spread via animals eg petting zoos

How did it get into the water in the first place? could be simply from infected people swimming or using local streams as toilets

It takes two to tango, the public have a duty of care too

How many children are sent to school while still shedding the crypro spores?

i think it is a fair assumption, given that the water company involved are distributing huge amounts of bottled water, that this dreadful outbreak isn't due to someone not having washed their hands properly after having using the toilet.

Apparently animal waste got into the reservoir serving the Hillshead area due to a faulty valve, according to BBC News