Warning to Chard residents: boil your water

Wessex Water is warning customers in the Chard area of Somerset to boil their water before using it after a routine test showed coliform bacteria in the local supply.

People living in Chard, Tatworth and South Chard should boil tap water before using it for drinking, washing food, cleaning teeth or for medical purposes.

It is believed about 6,000 properties may have been affected. The company said the advice is "precautionary". The bacteria, which occur in the intestinal tracts of humans and animals, and can also occur naturally in the environment, are not necessarily harmful, but some forms can cause gastric and intestinal illness, such as nausea and diarrhoea.

Kalyanaraman Kumaran, from Dorset and Somerset Health Protection Unit, said the unit would be keeping a watch to see whether there was an increased incidence of such illnesses in the area.

"The message to the public is to make sure they boil water for drinking and for cooking" he said.

Water used directly from the tap should only be used for washing, bathing and flushing the toilet.

Wessex Water found the coliforms through the regular daily sampling. The company analyses about 50,000 water samples a year.

Dr Julian Dennis, director of compliance and sustainability for Wessex Water, said: "We are asking people to boil their water as a precautionary measure while we investigate to find the source of the problem.

"As a responsible water company we are committed to supplying customers with water of the highest quality and it is through one of our vigorous tests to ensure our water meets a high standard that we have discovered the coliform.

"Very occasionally unwanted substances can enter the system that may affect our very high quality standards. When this happens we take extra action to ensure that water is completely safe to drink.

"Although at this stage we are unsure exactly how many people could be affected, as a precautionary measure we are advising people living in Chard and the immediate area to boil their water."

Wessex Water is currently distributing advice cards to residents in some of the areas affected and the company is urging people to make neighbours aware of the advice to boil water.

Customers should continue boiling water until further notice.