Council's £14k bottled water bill after bug found

Regular testing found bacteria in the water supply at Borough Hall

A council has spent £14,000 on bottled water after bacteria was found in the system at its headquarters.

Bedford Borough Council said since the bug, called pseudomonas - which can cause infection in humans - was found at Borough Hall in March 2025, bottled water has been available.

The authority said it had worked with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) to "resolve the issue" and measures taken had included pasteurising the pipework and putting "medical-grade filters on taps for handwashing".

A UKHSA spokesperson said: "The risk to the general public is very low."

They added the UKHSA had been "providing public health advice on how to protect staff and visitors of the building and manage the water system", according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Pseudomonas, found at Borough Hall, can grow in water systems and on wet surfaces, including taps, pipes and sinks

Pseudomonas is commonly found in soil and and ground water and can cause a range of infections in people with weakened immune systems.

It can grow in water systems and on wet surfaces, including taps, pipes and sinks.

The UKHSA said preventative measures included regular system maintenance and disinfection.

Dr Sultan Salimee, consultant in communicable disease control at UKHSA, said: "Pseudomonas is a bacterium commonly found in our environment and is normally only a risk to people with increased susceptibility to infection."

A council spokesperson added: "Current spend to date on bottled water is £14,000 and we are hopeful that the issues will be resolved soon."