18.09.08 | Customers advised to use tap water as normal

Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water has today (Thursday 18 September) told 45,000 people in North West Wales that they no longer need to boil their tap water.

The company says it is confident that the water is now safe to drink because new equipment installed at the Mynydd Llandygai treatment works is successfully killing all cryptosporidium in the water supply. Customers are being sent letters advising of the lifting of the ‘boil water notice.’

The new ultra violet water treatment has been tested thoroughly after installation a week ago.

To date (Thursday 18 September), a total of ten cases of cryptosporidiosis in Anglesey and Gwynedd have been investigated. There is always a background level of cases in the community, primarily as a result of foreign travel or contact with animals. In this instance, any link with drinking water has been ruled out in all ten cases.

All cases are routinely investigated to establish the likely cause and, because of the incubation period of cryptosporidium, it is possible that cases related to the water supply could appear over the next few weeks.

The boil water notice has been in force as a precautionary measure since 29 August, when routine sampling of water at Mynydd Llandygai revealed an increase in the levels of cryptosporidium, which can cause illness. The notice was issued to customers in the Bangor, Bethesda, Capel Curig, Llanfair PG and Menai Bridge areas.

Customers in the village of Capel Curig are receiving water from another source pending the installation of ultra violet treatment at the small treatment works that serves that area.

Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water Operations Director, Peter Perry, said: “The ultra violet treatment process we have installed at Mynydd Llandygai will kill any cryptosporidium present. We are pleased that we can now lift the boil notice and end this inconvenience to local people.

“Water quality is our top priority and we initiated this boiling notice to ensure public health was fully protected. So far, there have been no reported cases of illness as a result of the cryptosporidium in the water supply.”

Mr Perry continued: “We are very sorry that this precaution has meant customers have had to boil water and, as promised, we will be sending them a cheque for £25 for the inconvenience caused. This will arrive within the next 21 days and is an automatic process. Customers do not need to contact us to ask for the payment.

“I would like to thank people for bearing with us while this precautionary boil water notice was in place.”

Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water has announced that it is accelerating a further £9 million investment already planned for Mynydd Llandygai that will further improve the overall quality of water supplied. Customers with any enquiries relating to this matter can contact Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water on 0800 0520130.

Ends

Questions and Answers

Why have I had to boil my water? Our routine sampling programme picked up an increase in the number of cryptosporidium in the water - the type that is normally found in sheep or deer.

Why are you lifting the boil? We have now installed an ultra violet (UV) treatment process which kills cryptosporidium.

What does the UV do and will it harm me? The UV treatment will kill any cryptosporidium in the raw water coming into the Mynydd Llandygai treatment works. The UV treatment will have no impact on you.

Is the water now safe to drink? The Boiling Water Notice was only a precautionary measure and there have been no cases of illness diagnosed. The UV process provides extra treatment that will kill any cryptosporidium and so we are confident that the tap water is now safe to drink.

I was told to boil in 2005 and you told me then that my water was from Cwellyn reservoir & that with the UV treatment being installed all levels of cryptosporidium would be killed.  Why did I need to boil this time? Your tap water is a mix of water from the Cwellyn reservoir & also the Mynydd Llandygai reservoir.  UV equipment is already at Cwellyn, but because some of your water could be from Mynydd Llandygai you were asked to boil as a precaution.  UV equipment has now been installed at Mynydd Llandygai.

Have you found where the cryptosporidium in the water supply came from? We are continuing to investigate the possible causes of the increase in cryptosporidium level. What we do know is that it was present in the raw water supply at Ffynnon Lligwy reservoir.

Could it happen again? As the UV treatment process kills cryptosporidium it is unlikely we will have to ask you to boil your water again.

Will I receive any compensation? We recognise that asking people to boil their water will have caused inconvenience and so we will pay £25 to each of our customers. Cheques will be sent out within 21 days from the day we lifted the boil water notice (18 September 2008).

Can I now use my drinks dispenser, water fountain etc Yes, but if you have an in-line filter you should change it before you use the equipment.