Call for answers in water crisis

By Tom Warren
BBC News, in Northampton

Mr and Mrs Tennant want more information from Anglian Water

Kate Tennant is desperate to find out if her tap water is safe to drink.

The retired 62-year-old from Kilsby, Northamptonshire, is undergoing a course of radiotherapy - so any stomach upset could have a serious affect.

She and husband Malcolm, 65, are among 250,000 people living in Northamptonshire being urged to boil water for drinking and food preparation after the parasite cryptosporidium was found in supplies.

They visited Market Square in Northampton town centre on Thursday to get information from Anglian Water, who had set up a customer point.

The local shop had almost sold out within minutes of the announcement Melanie Digby

"Our neighbour bought us some water yesterday to play safe, it's confusing more than anything," she said.

"I do not want a tummy bug on top of what I'm having to put up with at the moment."

Care assistant Nishi Goplui, 22, from the Kings Heath area of Northampton, said she had suffered stomach pains and diarrhoea over the past few days after drinking tap water.

"I went into work and they said, don't drink it (tap water).

"I'm annoyed, they (Anglian Water) haven't told us when it's going to be sorted out," she said.

Ms Goplui said she had suffered stomach ache

Melanie Digby, from Boughton, said she was finding it difficult to get bottled water.

"The local shop had almost sold out within minutes of the announcement," said the 46-year-old housewife.

"I had to drive around to find some and I think some stores are limiting sales.

Bottles delivered

"Everyone I've seen has been carrying water."

Nine schools remained shut on Thursday as investigations into the contamination continued.

The main focus was the Pitsford water treatment works, which serves the reservoir for the affected area of Northamptonshire.

Bottled water is being delivered during the day to schools, nursing homes and children's nurseries in the affected area.

Landlady Mary Breen believes her trade will suffer

But until the all-clear is given, most are having to boil their water or buy bottles in bulk.

Landlady Mary Breen, who runs The Auctioneers, off Market Square, is expecting trade to take a hit over the next two weeks.

"It's been a nightmare because we can't use mix machines, ice machines or our coffee machine, because it only takes the water up to a certain temperature," she said.

"I've had to order extra bottles of water and other soft drinks."

Ms Breen has stocked up with bottles of water from a nearby store and said she had seen people panic buying.

"We're going to lose a lot of customers. We were supposed to be having a big cocktail menu starting at the weekend."

Melanie Digby had to visit several shops to buy bottled water

Ms Breen said she would have problems cleaning the lines above the bar which supply spirits.

"I'm going to have to boil the water to do it. It's going to cause a lot of extra work," she said.

Andrea Atkinson, manager of Wilkinson, in Gold Street, said the store had been selling a lot of water.

"We've had some delivered via head office - in all fairness it was on a six-week promotion anyway," she said.

"I've been told that people were buying quite a bit of water. I've got plenty in to keep the town going."