"School children exposed to drinking water with dangerous levels of lead"

iNews reported that children at several schools were exposed to drinking water with elevated levels of lead, sparking concerns over Northumbrian Water’s supply. Northumbrian Water faced scrutiny as the presence of lead was found in two samples across schools.

"United Utilities fined £200k over Bolton 'inadequate' water supply"

BBC News reported that United Utilities was fined £200,000 after supplying "inadequately disinfected" drinking water to nearly 80,000 people in Bolton. The incidents, which occurred in 2015, led to two separate advisories for residents to boil water as a precaution due to insufficient disinfection at the Sweetloves treatment works. The Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) cited "serious failures" in United Utilities’ monitoring processes and criticized the company's lack of adequate preventative measures after an initial contamination in March.

"Boil tap water before use warning issued due to bacteria in mains supply"

Lincolnshire Live reported that Anglian Water issued a "boil water" notice to residents in parts of Lincolnshire after detecting bacteria in the mains water supply. The advisory affected areas around Lincoln, with Anglian Water urging residents to boil water before drinking, cooking, or brushing teeth. Bottled water was made available to vulnerable customers, and the company advised all affected households to continue boiling water until further notice. Anglian Water is conducting further testing and working to resolve the issue, apologising for the disruption and prioritising public safety.

"Some Rutland residents had no water for 'over a day'"

BBC News reported that a burst pipe in Rutland left some residents without water for more than 24 hours during a period of hot weather, with temperatures reaching 32°C. Residents in affected areas, such as the village of Exton, expressed frustration over Severn Trent’s delayed response and the lack of promised bottled water deliveries. Many residents struggled without water for drinking, bathing, or washing. Severn Trent stated that the repair was complex and apologized for the disruption, adding that they worked to restore water as quickly as possible and provided supplies to those on the Priority Services Register.

"Town's drinking water supply at risk"

The Monmouthshire Beacon reported that Monmouth’s drinking water supply has been under notice from the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) since October 2023 due to significant health risks identified at Welsh Water’s Monmouth treatment works. The DWI notice outlined necessary actions to address issues of contamination from taste, odor, pesticides, and pollution at the Monmouth and Court Farm (Ponthir) treatment works, with deadlines set for mitigation plans by March 2025 and full solutions by 2028. Welsh Water had earlier raised concerns about potential health risks in 2022 and 2023. Local residents have also expressed worries about additional contamination risks from planned housing developments nearby, which could impact the River Wye, the primary source for Monmouth’s water supply.

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"Faecal bacteria found in water supply in EIGHT more UK regions."

Devon isn't the only part of the UK battling against a tainted water supply - with 'faecal bacteria' now present in several other regions. As per the DWI, the following water authorities are now battling with cases of ‘faecal matter’ in the drinking supply: Severn Trent Water, Anglian Water, United Utilities, Northumbria, Essex and Suffolk Water, Thames Water, Bristol Water, DWR Cymru Welsh Water.

"Christmas dinner 'ruined' after burst water pipe cut supply"

BBC News reported that a burst water pipe in South Gloucestershire on Christmas Day left approximately 3,000 residents without water and caused discolouration issues. Affected areas, including Winterbourne, Stoke Gifford, and Bradley Stoke, experienced low water pressure and “brown” water. Bristol Water responded by distributing bottled water and advised residents to run taps to clear the discolouration, noting that it was not a health concern. Residents like Adel Dickson described how the outage disrupted holiday plans, as many could not cook or use basic facilities. Bristol Water apologized for the inconvenience and confirmed that the issue was permanently resolved.

"Major incident’ declared in Surrey as thousands lose water supply and supermarkets sell out."

A major incident has been declared as thousands of people have been left without water due to “ongoing problems” at a Thames Water treatment works.

"Boil your water’ warning as parasite causes outbreak of vomiting and diarrhoea in South Devon."

Residents in south Devon have been told to boil water before drinking it after dozens of suspected cases of sickness and diarrhoea caused by a microscopic parasite...

"Yorkshire Water chief defends PFAS pollution in Bentham drinking water"

ENDS Report covered concerns over PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) detected near Yorkshire Water’s Bentham operations. PFAS, often called “forever chemicals” because they are extremely resistant to degradation, can accumulate in water sources and are linked to various health risks, including hormone disruption and increased cancer risk. Yorkshire Water’s CEO, however, has attempted to reassure residents that the detected PFAS levels would not affect the drinking water supply.

Water bosses ordered to clean up tap supplies

Scottish Water has been ordered to carry out an emergency clean-up of tap water supplies after they were found to pose a ‘potential danger to human health’.

Nearly 3,000 storage sites are to be drained as part of a huge programme of work amid fears they may harbour potentially lethal bacteria and other pollutants.

Watchdogs intervened following a series of alerts, including one in which animal remains were found at the bottom of a tank supplying thousands of homes in Ayrshire.

Tap water warning in Uist and Benbecula over ‘oily taste’

People in parts of the Western Isles have been told not to use their water supply after it was contaminated by a fuel leak.

Three schools in Benbecula and South Uist have been closed and local health services have been disrupted. Scottish Water said about 1,000 properties were affected, with their water having an oily smell and taste. The utilities company said the problem had been traced to a leak from a back-up generator for a pumping station.

Scottish Water said the contamination would take several days to clear and has made bottled water available.

"Children sent home after potentially deadly bacteria found in school water supply."

Ardrossan Academy closed as a “precautionary measure” after the council’s water-quality monitoring team detected traces of legionella bacteria in the system.

A full clean, flush and disinfect of the entire water supply within the building was undertaken and follow-up testing is planned.

The school was reopened for classes and exams on Wednesday, however, the council confirmed the area where legionella was found will remain closed until test results confirm the bacteria is no longer present.