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Schools across Devon have bee forced to close today after hundreds of residents were struck down by a crippling illness caused by contaminated water.
South West Water has urged people to boil their tap water until further notice after people reported a range of symptoms including watery diarrhoea, stomach pains, nausea or vomiting, a mild fever, and loss of appetite.
Public health officials have confirmed more than 20 cases of cryptosporidium, a parasitic bug that causes severe stomach issues, in Brixham while others have complained to their GPs .
Follow MailOnline’s live coverage for the latest developments on this story and join in the conversation in our comments section
We can’t give anybody a glass of water. It is affecting trade – a lot more people are just not coming out.
Everyone is now worried about getting ill.’ He added: ‘We’re trying to adapt ourselves.
South West Water contamination: Afternoon update
MailOnline readers – ‘Renationalise NOW’
English water……in all the wrong places and the wrong type……the Tory way!
Let’s be honest, these water companies aren’t doing what they’re supposed to be doing,and getting a lot of money for not doing so.
Too much of their profits spent on Executives Shareholders and CEO’s and not enough on maintenance and discharging into rivers.
My question is. Who is going to pay for the energy required to boil the water? Especially for a family. Are the people infected going to receive compensation? We already know where Government grants to maintain, repair and modernise the systems i.e. taxpayer’s money have gone. There is no excuse whatsoever to continue to allow these private companies,i.e. corporate business to own and control our water industries. Renationalise NOW.
You need clean water and clean waters, from rivers via lakes (and meres) to seashores, without share and stakeholder dividends.
Any excuse to shut a school these days. There are easy ways to mitigate the issue without closing down.
Public health expert – Illness symptoms could last for a month
Swimmers told stay out of the water for two weeks if you’re ill
We’re working with SWW and the UK Health Security Agency, NHS Devon and the Environment Agency to investigate 22 confirmed cases of cryptosporidium.’
Please follow the advice to stay away from nursery, school and work for 48 hours since the last episode of illness and do not swim for two weeks after being unwell,’ Dr Sargeant added.
Anyone with a diarrhoeal illness should drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration and if they have severe symptoms like bloody diarrhoea, they should contact NHS 111 or their GP surgery.
Children urged to bring bottled water to school
South West Water has contacted us and confirmed that our school is in the affected area for cryptosporidium. We have been advised to only drink boiled water.
To keep our children and staff safe we are now using bottled water for drinking and cooking. We have purchased bottled water today and have been assured by South West Water that they will be delivering more bottled water this evening.
To support us, please can you ensure your child comes to school with a full water/ drinks bottle tomorrow and we will provide necessary refills using bottled water.
We have also been advised that children and adults increase their handwashing and we will ensure that this is the case from tomorrow.
In pictures: Residents collect bottled water amid South West Water contamination
Map: Where is the contaminated water outbreak
Second bottled water station opens in Brixham
Residents unhappy with location of bottled water station
We’re only here because we’ve seen it on social media. Even the leaflet drop person last night didn’t tell us we could come and collect it. Get a delivery drop out to some of the elderly and vulnerable people in those areas.
There are a lot of people who are disabled, vulnerable, elderly – they can’t get to these places, so I thought I’d do my bit.
Watch: Good Morning Britain report on contaminated water outbreak
Cryptosporidium: What is it? And how to tell if you’ve been infected?
Residents – Panic buyers have left us with no bottled water
I have had no water all day because everywhere is sold out of bottles. It reminds me of the panic buying toilet rolls during Covid.
Local resident – I have been ill for a week
I have been ill since last week with cramps, diarrhoea, sickness and dizziness. My daughter-in-law has also got ill.
I don’t want to know what is in the water I have been drinking but now they are saying not to wash your hands, can you shower? What’s it going to do to you?
I have been coming out with terrible eczema in the last couple of weeks which I haven’t in ages
I think South West Water made a mess for themselves by saying yesterday there was nothing wrong with the water and to keep drinking it. They should’ve been testing the water before it happened.
Public health official – We are confident source of outbreak is under control
This was reported as an outbreak on Tuesday morning and by Wednesday we had a credible source that it was likely to be a reservoir serving the TQ5 postcode such as Brixham and neighbouring areas.
South West Water has been investigating and continues to test. This is of course an ongoing situation, but we are pretty certain at this point with the boil water notice and ongoing investigation and remediation of water supply there that the primary source would have stopped.
What we are now focusing on is making sure we don’t have any spread from those initial cases.
South West Water issue ‘boil water’ notice
School shuts on safety grounds
The school have taken swift action to put safety plans in place and contact the appropriate authorities about providing safe drinking water.
At the time of writing this update (7.30pm), and despite repeated calls to South West Water about the urgency of the situation, the school has not received any bottled water or assurances of when water will be delivered. To enable parents and carers to make childcare plans for the morning, leaders have made the difficult decision to close the school tomorrow, Thursday 16th May.
All Year 6 children should attend the school as usual, to complete their final SATs paper in the morning. They should bring their own full water bottle and be collected at 11:15am. The school will also provide bottled water for children and staff in school tomorrow. No other children should attend the school.
A further update will be provided tomorrow afternoon, regarding the opening the school on Friday 17th May. Thank you for understanding with this rapidly changing situation.
South West Water contamination: What we know this morning
Good morning