‘Do not drink water for another month,’ furious residents told after fuel leak
VILLAGERS urged not to drink tap water for weeks due to an historic fuel spill could now be without for half the summer.
Thames Water confirmed to The Sun that work to replace pipes in Surrey, where 617 households are affected, could last much longer than first thought.
The precautionary ‘do not drink’ notice for the Bramley homes was issued on May 30, with residents told to drink only bottled water until further work and testing was complete.
This was initially expected to be finished by the end of June, but the water firm says it will take approximately a further month before the all clear is given.
Villagers are also being asked to run their tap for five to 10 minutes every day to help speed up the process.
The issue is related to a previous fuel leak at a village petrol station, now operated by Asda.
Thames Water have been conducting weekly sampling in Bramley since August 2023.
They upped water sample collections and testing from October 2023 in light of the problem.
But The Sun revealed in May that the firm was forced to take drastic measures following test results and was having a water pipe outside the site replaced, which was expected to take three or four weeks.
Asked if during the same period, the notice not to drink water will remain in place, a spokeswoman previously told The Sun: “That’s our estimate at the moment.
“We will continue to provide bottled water in that time.”
The notice had said test results from late May had indicated “a possible deterioration in quality in some areas”.
Letters and bottled water were being hand delivered to those affected properties.
The firm previously said water can still be used to wash or flush the toilet.
An Asda spokesman told The Sun today: “We wholeheartedly recognise the impact this situation is continuing to have on the residents and businesses of Bramley and share their frustrations.
“Since we took ownership of the site we have been transparent in setting out the steps to remediation, both for the site itself and the wider village.
“Given the complex and evolving nature of the situation we have continued to work proactively with other stakeholders as information becomes available to assess the most appropriate next steps to resolve this situation as quickly as possible.”
Analysis: How fuel poisoning can hurt you
By Lizzie Parry, Head of Health
Fuel poisoning is a nasty business causing difficulty breathing, throat swelling, vision loss, internal burns, seizures, even death.
The list of horrific consquences goes on, and the effects can be long-term – causing scar tissue and permanent organ damage.
That’s why it’s vital that residents living in Bramley take note of the precautions in place.
While they may be inconvenient, the alternative could be much more so.
It’s important people do not drink any tap water or fill up their pets’ water bowls from the tap, while the ‘do not drink’ notice is in place.
Avoid using tap water when you’re cooking, brushing your teeth and don’t even use it if you’ve boiled it first.
Residents can still shower, bath and flush the loo – just be careful not to swallow any water while running your head under the shower.
If you are worried that you or a family member might be affected by the leak, seek medical help. Call NHS 111 or 999 in an emergency.
A Waverley Borough Council spokesperson, said: “We continue to work closely with Thames Water and other agencies to try and mitigate the impact on residents and businesses, and we will support those affected wherever possible.”
A Thames Water spokesperson said: “Our customers’ health and safety is our top priority.
“We have now replaced a key section of pipework close to the petrol station, following a fortnight of 24/7 work.
“This is an essential step for getting things back to normal for the impacted properties affected by the ‘do not drink’ notice.
“The precautionary ‘do not drink’ measure, which was introduced on the 30 May, remains in place and follows recent water sampling and a historic fuel leak from the village petrol station.
“We will continue to deliver bottled water to impacted households until we can be confident there is no risk to the water we supply.
“We will also continue to carry out extensive sampling across the impacted area, so we are confident the hydrocarbons from the fuel are no longer at a level which is a risk to health.
“We are in discussion with the UK Health Security Agency over guidance on the precise number of properties we will need to test but we expect the process to last approximately a further one month.
“Customers can assist us by running their kitchen tap for between five and ten minutes every day.
“While this is not essential, it will help to move the water around properties internal plumbing.
I live in Bramley - what should I do?
The notice means 617 properties are asked not to use their water supply for drinking, cooking or brushing their teeth – customers can continue to use the water to shower and wash hands.
Letters and bottled water were previously delivered to those affected properties over the evening of May 31 and the following morning.
The ‘do not drink’ advice is set to remain in place while further investigations are carried out.
During this time the affected customers have been advised:
- Don’t drink the tap water or give to pets.
- Don’t prepare or cook food using tap water.
- Don’t use tap water to brush your teeth.
- Don’t use tap water even after boiling.
- Can use tap water to wash.
- Can use tap water to flush the loo.
“We have also taken the decision to replace some more of the pipes in the area to reduce the likelihood of further contamination from the fuel.
“As a result, we are keeping the current closure of Station Road in place until the middle of next week (26/06).
“We are doing all we can to reduce this timeframe and are also working with other utility companies to help them carry out any work they need to in the area as well.
“We are very sorry to the community for the disruption this is causing.
“However, because the fuel in the ground is widespread, we must be clear that this work will not solve all the problems.
“This will depend on the remedial activities being undertaken by EPS, the environmental consultants employed by Asda, who took control of the site in 2023, to clean up the ground water contamination.
“We will be guided by the results of our water quality testing and will only remove the drinking water restrictions once these are showing consistently clear results.”
