London water tested for parasites after families suffer diarrhoea and vomiting

Families living in Beckenham, south east London have said they have been struck by stomach bug lasting for days at a time.

A London water supply has been sent for testing after residents as young as four-years-old have reported suffering with severe diarrhoea and vomiting.

Families living in Beckenham, south east London have said they have been struck by stomach bug lasting for days at a time.

One woman was so unwell she went to hospital with stomach pain, vomiting and dehydration.

A four-year-old boy gas also suffered days of vomiting.

Two weeks ago more than 100 people in Brixham, Devon fell ill after cryptosporidium was detected in the water supply.

South West Water urged 17,000 households and businesses to boil their tap water before drinking it.

Katie Cox, a TV producer who lives in the area, told the Observer: ‘I was unwell two weeks ago with what I thought was a stomach bug.

‘It was a good week before I was able to eat again properly.

‘Since then, the South West Water contamination has come to light and I became concerned that maybe there is something in our water.’

Thames Water confirmed technicians came to take samples and are undergoing laboratory testing.

They said: ‘Our technicians collected samples from a property in the area on Tuesday 22 May following customers contacting the business.

‘Initial on site testing carried out by our accredited technician did not indicate an aesthetic issue with the water, further samples were also collected for laboratory analysis and results showed no concerns.

‘Customers can find information about their water supply by inputting their postcode on our website. Should anyone be concerned about their tap water, we’d encourage them to contact us.’

A spokesperson said: ‘We take the quality of our water extremely seriously – it is the highest quality drinking water in the world – and since 2010 more than 99.95% of tests taken from customers’ taps met the standard required by UK and European legislation. Every year, we carry out more than 500,000 tests.’

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