Water company confirms 'reduction' in water parasite

South West Water said its teams would continue to work around the clock to resolve the outbreak of the waterborne disease in Devon

South West Water (SWW) said after a "rigorous programme" of cleaning and flushing, they have seen continued reductions of the water parasite in Devon.

The water company said teams were making "good progress" but there was still "more work to do" in the Brixham area.

SWW said it is believed a damaged air valve on private land was the cause of the outbreak of the waterborne disease cryptosporidium, which can cause diarrhoea and sickness.

The company also acknowledged businesses and local traders had reported a loss of footfall over the bank holiday weekend.

'Difficult situation'

David Harris, incident director at SWW said in an update, teams would continue to work around the clock in the upper Brixham, Kingswear and Hillhead area until the job was done and they could safely lift the boil water notice.

“This has been a particularly difficult situation for businesses and local traders, especially over the bank holiday weekend. I know many are reporting a loss of footfall and anxiety amongst consumers," he said.

"We are doing all we can to help affected businesses and urge them to contact our dedicated helpline.

“I know this has caused inconvenience to our customers and businesses and we have a lot of work to do to rebuild trust with local people and rebuild confidence in our area."

'Open for business'

He added: "We will continue to engage with business groups, the local council and tourism bodies to ensure everyone knows this beautiful area is safe to visit and remains fully open for business."

He also thanked customers for their continued patience as they work "all hours" to fix the problem.