Water contaminated with bacteria in South Yorkshire postcode - DO NOT DRINK tap water

DO NOT DRINK your tap water if you live in this South Yorkshire postcode, Yorkshire Water has warned.
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‘High levels’ of bacteria have been detected in the DN8 postcode in Doncaster, which includes Thorne, Sandtoft and Moorends and affects almost 4,000 households.

Yorkshire Water has issued the urgent do not drink notice to those in the postcode tonight.

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Bottled water is being made available to residents for free.

The firm said in a statement released this evening: “Bacteria detected in #DN8 water supply, DO NOT DRINK. Affected post codes, bottled water collection.”

Cheap tap water can be bought from major supermarkets for about 20p per bottle.

OR Free tap water is being given out by Yorkshire Water at the Moorends Hotel in Marshland Road, Moorends, and Thornensians RUFC Rugby Clubhouse in Thorne, DN8 5BU.

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Some reports suggest water has run out at these points, but more deliveries are expected at midnight.

Yorkshire Water has warned:

“Customers in 3,600 properties in the village of Thorne, near Doncaster, have been told not to use their tap water.

“High levels of bacteria have been detected in the local water supply, prompting us to issue the precautionary Do Not Drink advice which customers must follow until further notice.

“The affected areas are postcodes starting with:

DN8 4B; DN8 4D; DN8 4E; DN8 4H; DN8 4J; DN8 4L; DN8 4N; DL8 4P; DN8 4Q; DN8 4R; DN8 4S; DN8 4S; DN8 4T; DN8 5A; DN8 5B; DN8 5D; DN8 5E; DN8 5F; DN8 5G; DN8 5J; DN8 5N; DN8 5Q; DN8 5R; DN8 5S; DN8 5T

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Following consultation with local health experts, customers are being told not to:

- Drink their tap water

- Cook or prepare foods with their tap water

- Clean their teeth with tap water

- Let their pets drink the tap water

“Alternative supplies are being proactively delivered to customers on our register of vulnerable customers.

“More bottled water for the general public is due to be delivered to two locations in the village very shortly tonight and will be replenished throughout the weekend on a regular basis. These locations are highlighted below within the map. Additional bottled water collection points may be established throughout the weekend.”

AFFECTED

Rachel Marklew, aged 28, from Thorne, is one of those affected by the tap water ban.

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The school teacher is 21 weeks pregnant and has been drinking the tap water all day - and feeling unwell.

She said: “I have had several glasses of tap water today and a couple of cups of tea and I’ve been feeling unwell all day.

“As soon as I saw it on Facebook I Tweeted Yorkshire Water and when I said I’m pregnant, they rang me straight away.”

Rachel says residents have been fighting in the supermarkets in Doncaster to get hold of bottled water.

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She added: “My mum went to Sainsbury’s in Thorne and she said it was carnage. There were people fighting over the water and it quickly sold out.”

Residents have been told they may face an entire weekend without water, Rachel added.

“It’s awful, we can’t even cook with it, and I can’t eat fruit or veg that hasn’t been washed because I’m pregnant, but I can’t wash it in tap water.”

She added that she’s worried that many elderly residents who don’t use Facebook or Twitter may be unaware of the no drinking notice, and said that her mum had been visiting older neighbours to give out water.

Have you been affected? Email [email protected]