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Britons cautioned to boil water on issue over parasite contamination in Devon areas

Locals in part of Devon in southwestern England were warned on Wednesday to boil water before consuming it after the region's water utility discovered traces of a digestive parasite that can cause diarrhoea and throwing up.

South West Water issued the notice to its customers in Alston and the Hillhead location of Brixham, and said it was urgently examining the source of the contamination.

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

Regular disposing of raw sewage in rivers and seas has sparked anger in Britain, with privatised water companies implicated of stopping working to invest in infrastructure and of consistently dumping sewage in waterways.

BY THE NUMBERS

The lawmaker for the area stated health, water and regional authorities were examining 16 verified cases amongst residents of sickness involving the cryptosporidium parasite, and around 70 further reported cases of diarrhoea and vomiting.

The locations impacted have a combined population of around 26,000.

CONTEXT

Cryptosporidium can trigger diarrhoea, stomach discomforts, queasiness or vomiting, low-grade fever and anorexia nervosa.

The organism can be discovered in the intestines and faeces of contaminated human beings and animals and may contaminate lakes, streams and rivers, swimming pools, untreated or poorly dealt with water, and food, according to the National Health Service