Thames Water issue urgent 'do not drink' warning to hundreds of Surrey homes
An urgent “do not drink” notice has been issued to hundreds of Surrey homes following tap water tests by Thames Water.
The company said the advice was “precautionary” after results on Thursday indicated “a possible deterioration” in the quality of drinking water in “some areas”.
Some 616 homes in Bramley are believed to be affected.
Residents are being advised not to use tap water for drinking, cooking or brushing their teeth - but can continue to shower and their wash hands.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, who was MP for the are until the dissolution of parliament for the general election, said he had been in touch with DEFRA and Thames Water and was monitoring the situation.
“I have requested that bottled water stations are in Bramley itself - they are being set up now,” he added.
There have been concerns about the tap water in the village since 2021 when a large fuel spill at a nearby petrol station forecourt polluted streams.
Thames Water has been carrying out testing since October 2023.
A spokesman stressed this was the first time problems had been detected.Tess Fayers, Operations Director for the Thames Valley and Home Counties said: “We are asking 616 Bramley properties not to drink the tap water following recent water sampling results.
“The health and safety of our customers is our number one priority, and we would like to reassure residents that this is a precautionary measure.
“We are in the process of delivering letters and bottled water to the affected properties.
“We are also identifying locations to set-up bottled water stations and we will share this information with our customers as soon as possible.
“We are already on site in the village proactively replacing sections of our pipes on Horsham Road to reduce the risk to our customers.”
