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A British water company has urged local residents not to drink from their taps after discovering bacteria indicating possible contamination with human or animal waste.
Yorkshire Water has issued a boil order affecting nearly 200 post codes across three towns and villages in the region, after discovering above-average levels of the bacteria coliform in the local water supply.
Coliforms, which can include bacteria such as E.Coli, are typically found in the digestive systems of humans and animals.
While fecal coliforms themselves can cause stomach pains, diarrhoea and other gastrointestinal diseases, they can also indicate the presence of other more harmful bacteria in a water supply.
The warning has been issued for residents living in High Bentham, Low Bentham and Burton in Lonsdale.
In its latest update at 5:30pm on Tuesday, Yorkshire Water said: “The boil water advice is still in place until further notice. Boiling your water before consuming it is sufficient protection.
“However, we have provided some bottled water for customers that have a medical need or may find boiling their water difficult.
“We are working to resolve the issue and our most recent tests show that the situation has improved. We will be in touch to let you know when everything is back to normal.”
Urging residents in the affected areas to boil all tap water before using it for drinking, cleaning teeth or preparing foods which will be eaten uncooked, Yorkshire Water said: “Tap water should be boiled for a few seconds and stored in clean, covered containers in a cool place for a maximum of 24 hours.
“Water for babies’ feeds should be boiled (and allowed to cool) immediately before use. Boiling is sufficient protection, there is no need to use bottled water.”
Yorkshire Water said it was continuing to take samples to monitor the quality of the local water supply while working to resolve the issue, and is working closely with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
The Independent has approached the UKHSA for further information.
In a statement, Yorkshire Water said: “Routine testing of the water supply in the local area has shown it doesn’t meet our usual standards, and we are asking affected customers to continue following boil water advice, as a precautionary measure, until further notice.
“Any property impacted by the issue has had a hand delivered notice of the boil order – customers can double check if they are impacted on our website.
“We'd like to remind customers that boiling water provides sufficient protection; however, we appreciate that can be inconvenient and have delivered bottled water to any customer on our priority services register.
“We are working hard to determine why this has happened, and to get things back to normal as quickly as is possible – we thank everyone affected for their patience.”
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