E. coli scare: Advice to boil water in Oxted area lifted

People had been told to boil and cool water before using it

People in parts of Surrey who had been told to boil water before drinking have been told supplies are now safe.

Hundreds of postcodes in the Oxted area had been affected.

Advice was issued on Thursday for about 6,500 properties in the area after E. coli was found in a sample from the Westwood water treatment works.

SES Water said there had been no evidence of contaminated water leaving the plant.

Tom Kelly, wholesale director at SES Water, said: "Following a positive result for E. coli from one sample at our Westwood water treatment works on Thursday, we put in place a precautionary boil notice for customers whose mains water is supplied from the site.

"I am very pleased to say that we now have final confirmation that the precautionary boil notice has now been lifted with immediate effect," he said.

"Our investigations into the isolated sample result continue but there is no indication of contaminated water leaving the treatment works."

What is E. coli?

• Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria are found in the intestines of humans and animals. There are many different types, some are harmless and others can cause a variety of diseases.

• The bacterium is found in faeces and can survive in the environment.

• E. coli bacteria can cause a range of infections including urinary tract infection, cystitis (infection of the bladder), and intestinal infection.

• E. coli bacteraemia (blood stream infection) may be caused by primary infections spreading to the blood.

Source: Public Health England

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