UPDATE: 3-February-2022 - 13:30pm
Customers in Darlington no longer need to boil their water before drinking it.
The announcement is being made by Northumbrian Water and the UK Health Security Agency (formerly Public Health England) following a boil notice that had been placed as a precautionary measure in some areas of the town since Tuesday, February 1.
Following the fault at the Broken Scar Treatment Works, teams from the water company, in conjunction with UKHSA, had been carrying out a series of water quality tests at various locations on the water networks across the Darlington area.
These tests have now been complete and following analysis the results show that the tap water meets the high-quality standards expected and is safe for customers to drink again.
Every sample carried out across Darlington since the fault at the Treatment Works on Tuesday had passed water quality and safety tests.
All boil notices that had previously been in place for customers throughout Darlington are now removed.
Is the water safe to drink?
Yes, all of our test results have returned clear meaning that the water is now safe to drink. Customers no longer need to boil their water before consuming.
What if I feel sick following this?
All of the test samples have returned clear results, meaning that there was nothing in the water that could have caused any illness. If any customers are feeling ill, we would advise them to seek advice from their GP as they would with any normal stomach bug or illness.
If results were clear earlier today why didn’t I get the card?
We have been notifying and updating our customers on the ‘safe to use’ notices through direct texts, emails, social media, press releases and local councillors. We appreciate that some of our customers may not have access to the internet, but we currently have 150 employees in the area delivering the notices through peoples doors. Due to the size of the area, this can take time but we are working hard to get all notices delivered as quickly as possible.
How do I sign up to the priority services register for the future?
Customers who may need extra support can sign up to the Priority Services Register here - www.nwl.co.uk/priority. Customers on this register will be prioritised with help and access to bottled water if there are any interruptions to your water supply in future.
How do I sign up for notifications in the future?
Customers who would like to receive updates via text message or email in the future can register their details here for updates - www.nwl.co.uk/register/
What do I do if I have further questions about this?
If customers have any further questions, they can contact our customer call centre on 0345 717 1100.
Can customers with internal storage tanks continue to use water as normal?
Yes, tests taken across our networks showed that all samples returned clear. This means that any water stored at customer properties ahead of these issues is safe to use.
Will I receive any compensation?
The issues we have been experiencing over the past few days are incredibly rare for us and our customers and we are very sorry for any inconvenience or concern that this has caused local people, businesses and communities.
To try and help customers during this time, and while the boil notice has been in place, we have been providing bottled water to local schools, colleges, nurseries and supporting priority service customers.
Because the precautionary boil notice was introduced on Tuesday 1st Feb, and lifted on Thursday 3rd Feb, then it does not meet the 72 hour requirement for compensation set out in our customer charter and so we will not be providing compensation payments for customers.
Will we be reimbursed for the bottled water we have went out to buy?
As customers were able to consume water after boiling, we will not be providing reimbursements for bottled water at this time.
I live in Darlington but I was not informed?
Only properties supplied with water from the Broken Scar Water Treatment Works were impacted by the boil notices. Some properties in the Darlington area are instead supplied by Lartington Water Treatment Works, and these were not affected.
This is why some people didn’t receive any direct updates like the text messages, emails and leaflets from Northumbrian Water about the boil notice. There was no issue with their supply.
Our water networks do not work the same way postcode boundaries do. Two people who live in the same street and who share the same postcode, could, get their water supply from different treatment works.
That’s why we advised people to check their postcodes using the online tool. This can differentiate between postcodes and give people exact information on their water supply.
Customers can find out more about where their water is supplied from, here - www.nwl.co.uk/check-your-area
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