Cambridge Water source for 1,000 homes 'contaminated by toxic chemical'
An MP has called for a full investigation into concerns that drinking water supplied to around 1,000 homes may have been contaminated with a toxic chemical.
It comes after a report in The Guardian revealed one source of the water supply to the Cambridgeshire villages of Stapleford and Great Shelford had to be stopped last June over safety fears.
Cambridge Water said it had found higher than usual levels of perfluorooctane sulphonate (PFAS) at its site at Duxford Airfield.
PFAS is a group of man-made chemicals used widely in a range industrial and household products. It has been associated with increased cholesterol, low birthweight and suppressed immune response, reported the newspaper.
Cambridge Water said the supply was removed as a "purely precautionary measure" and assured customers that any PFAS chemicals in the water were within "safe levels".
It said the supply was rated as being in the Tier 3 for levels of the chemical - the second highest level - but that the supply was blended with water from other sources before it reached customers' homes meaning they were "at or around" Tier 1 level, the lowest, when the water came out of the tap.
Elinor Cordiner, the water company's head of drinking water quality and compliance, added: "The presence of PFAS compounds in the water supply is an emerging national challenge and one we take very seriously and support all action to effectively manage PFAS and protect public health."
South Cambridgeshire MP Anthony Browne said he was not satisfied with the response by Cambridge Water.
“I’m appalled at the conduct of Cambridge Water in letting this incident happen and then concealing it," said Mr Brown.
"The continued secrecy around how many people have been affected, and the impact on our precious aquifer, is unacceptable.
"I urge Cambridge Water to come clean about the extent of the incident, both in terms of who was affected and how long it went on for. They must directly inform affected residents.
“Their actions go against both the spirit and letter of current legislation. Potentially thousands of residents have been drinking toxic chemicals and yet Cambridge Water’s statement seems to contain nothing close to an apology. Their customers deserve better."
Cambridge MP Daniel Zeichner said: “It is totally unacceptable that Cambridge Water have supplied more than 1,000 people in our county with water containing dangerously high levels of toxic chemicals.
"What is even more shocking is that the company chose not to inform those households that they had been exposed. This case illustrates how some private water companies are failing to fulfill their duty to provide clean and safe drinking water”.
Cambridge Water said it was in the process of "installing additional treatment at the site to safeguard our supplies for the future, and to ensure that our customers always receive the highest quality water".