Devon residents warned off contaminated water supply

Husband says wife collapsed after drinking from house taps

- BARNEY DAVIS

A husband says his wife collapsed after drinking water feared to be contaminated with a parasite, as residents in the affected area have been warned to boil their mains supplies for at least another week.

Around 16,000 households and businesses in the Brixham area of Devon have been told not to drink their tap water until further notice after dozens fell ill with diarrhoea or vomiting. The UK Health Security Agency confirmed there had been 22 cases of cryptosporidium in the area, forcing a primary school to shut and local authorities to issue emergency supplies of bottled water.

South West Water (SWW) apologised for initially offering just £15 compensation to those affected. Cryptosporidium is a diarrhoea and vomiting illness that can be caught by drinking contaminated water. It can also be spread through animal and human contact.

Symptoms, including stomach pains and fever, can last between two and three weeks, with most healthy people recovering fully.