The Public Health Directorate has received several phone calls from members of the public regarding the safety of drinking water following the press statement to ‘boil the water’ issued on Sunday 8 July 2012 by the IOM Water & Sewage Authority.

Public Health would like to allay any anxieties for the public regarding this incident and would like to point out that:

• The water was NEVER contaminated with sewage or any other toxic product; it was below acceptable levels and that is why the notice was issued.

• There is a theoretical risk in such instances of the bacterium cryptosporidium getting into the water supply.  Laboratory tests to check this take approximately 48 hours.  Until such time purely as a matter of precaution, members of the public are asked to boil their water.  The lab tests were received this morning show that there is NO evidence of cryptosporidium.

• If any member of the public has drunk tap water without boiling it since Sunday 8 July 2012, there is NO risk as the results of the water samples have not shown any abnormality.

• There are no short or long term health problems from this incident.

Public Health has worked with the Water and Sewage Authority throughout this incident.

Members of the public should feel reassured that the agency responsible for water supply is taking its role with utmost vigilance and detect any problems with water quality as soon as they occur.

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