South West Water has identified a probably cause of the recent outbreak of cryptosporidium, affecting thousands of homes in the Devon area.
In a statement issued on Sunday, David Harris, Drought and Resilience Director at South West Water said:
“We have already identified a probable cause at Hillhead – a damaged air valve on private farmland – and are urgently investigating how this happened. The Hillhead reservoir has been successfully drained, thoroughly cleaned, and we will start refilling today. We will also start flushing the wider Hillhead network today, which is being continuously monitored as we work to eliminate any traces of cryptosporidium. We will not lift the boil water notice in Hillhead until we and our public health partners are completely satisfied it is safe to do so.”
