People told not to drink tap water after 'incident'

Independent Water Networks arranged for customers to have bottled water dropped off on their doorsteps after being told not to use their tap water

People have been asked not to drink their tap water or wash with it due to contamination concerns.

Independent Water Networks (IWN) announced there was an incident just before 22:00 GMT on Thursday affecting about 320 homes on the Marleigh Development in Fen Ditton on the edge of Cambridge.

Customers have been placed on a precautionary "do not use" notice after the company received a complaint.

Samples were being tested. Bottled water was being delivered to doorsteps and the local primary school did not open on Friday.

Marleigh Primary Academy announced it would have to close for day due to the "ongoing incident with tap water"

IWN asked customers to not use tap water for drinking (including in pre-made ice cubes), preparing food, brushing teeth, rinsing crockery and utensils, preparation of infant formula and for washing and bathing.

It said: "This means that tap water must not be used for anything other than flushing the toilet.

"IWN has arranged for bottled water to be dropped outside your homes from 11pm onwards by our emergency contractor Water Direct.

"This notice will remain in place until further notice."

Marleigh Primary Academy announced on social media that it would be closed on Friday due to the "ongoing incident with tap water".

Customers were issued with bottles of water on Thursday evening, with more due to be delivered as long as the problem persisted

IWN said it was taking samples from homes which would be sent to a laboratory in Coventry.

Charlie Thackeray, water networks director at IWN, said the results were expected on Saturday.

"It's a precautionary approach at the moment. We want to make sure we look out for the safety of our customers, but we do understand how inconvenient that is," he said.

The company said that at the moment it was not known how long the "do not drink" notice to households would stay in force.

In its message to customers, the firm did not say what prompted the issuing of the water notice.

Independent Water Networks had been taking samples of the water which would be tested in Coventry