Poisoned water inquiry concludes

A toxic chemical was tipped into the wrong tank at the Lowermoor works

An official inquiry into water contamination in a Cornish town in 1988 has concluded.

No findings have yet been published about the incident when 20 tonnes of aluminium sulphate entered water supplies in Camelford.

Up to 20,000 people in and around the town were affected in 1988.

The report on whether exposure to chemicals resulted in ill-health will be reviewed by the Food Standards Agency's Committee on Toxicity.

It will then be passed onto the Health and Environment ministers.

Local representatives said they would be recommending future action to ensure people affected had been tested for ill-health and received on-going care.

The aluminium sulphate entered the water supply after it was delivered into the wrong tank at the former South West Water Authority (SWWA) water treatment works at Lowermoor.

A 2005 draft inquiry report said it was unlikely that the chemicals involved in the incident would have caused any persistent or delayed health effects but recommended further research.

The final inquiry, carried out by a Committee of Toxicity (Lowermoor Subgroup), was asked to investigate whether the incident resulted in ill-health and to advise whether the monitoring of community health should be increased.

People across a large area of north Cornwall were exposed to levels of aluminium 500 to 3,000 times the acceptable limit defined by the European Union.