Rural Residents Advised Not to Drink Tap Water Due to Safety Concerns

The following article has been rewritten from information originally presented by the BBC News. You can find a link to the original article at the bottom of the page.

Families in a rural area of Herefordshire have been advised to avoid drinking water from a local borehole after tests revealed harmful bacteria.

The eight households near Whitwick Manor, close to Ledbury, rely on a privately-owned borehole that taps into underground water supplies. Recent testing by Herefordshire Council found the presence of coliform bacteria, and a prior test in 2023 had also detected E. coli.

The council has informed the affected households, and landowner Nicholas Layton told the BBC that the properties would soon be connected to the mains water supply.

One resident, who preferred to remain anonymous, explained that the contamination was discovered after they requested testing of their water. “They told me the borehole water needed testing every five years, and it was overdue,” she said. “When the council tested it, they found E. coli.” She added that when her family first moved into the property, they drank the water directly from the tap.

E. coli is a bacterium typically found in the intestines of humans and animals, and it can cause severe illness.

An estimated 5-10% of Herefordshire’s population relies on private water supplies. Under local regulations, the environmental health department is required to conduct risk assessments on all private water sources every five years. Following the 2023 E. coli detection, residents were advised to avoid drinking the water without boiling it or using bottled water instead.

Nicholas Layton is also in the process of applying for planning permission to build an anaerobic digestion (AD) unit at Whitwick Manor. If approved, the facility would convert 116,000 tonnes of poultry manure and apple pulp into natural gas to supply around 6,000 homes. However, some local residents and environmental groups are concerned that the project could harm the area’s already fragile ecosystem.

“They’ve done nothing in a year to show they’re addressing the water contamination issue,” one resident said. “People are worried about how this will be managed—what if something goes wrong with the AD unit?”

Herefordshire Council is expected to make a decision on the planning application in December.

Mr Layton’s agent, Bourne Valley Associates, has assured the public that the AD unit will not impact groundwater. They stated that only clean, uncontaminated water would be released into a system of reed beds and buffer lagoons for treatment.

Meanwhile, the affected resident shared that while they have been relying on bottled water for drinking, they are still using the borehole water for other household purposes like toilets and showers.

Recent testing in November 2024 showed the presence of coliform bacteria, along with traces of nitrates and uranium in the water. Coliform bacteria typically indicate that water has not been properly disinfected, and while it may not always be harmful, its presence is a sign of contamination.

A spokesperson for Herefordshire Council confirmed that the November 2023 test had found E. coli, marking the first such failure for the supply. However, the most recent test showed no E. coli.

The council has been in contact with Mr Layton to address the ongoing issues with the borehole water, and he confirmed that the affected households would be connected to the mains water supply at his own expense.

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