Lancashire residents told to keep boiling tap water

“Wadeypops” posted: “If we all get compensation after this, United Utilities will just re-coup the money back by increasing next years water bill”.

“Simon PNE” posted: “For several days, UU have failed to provide safe drinking water to hundreds of thousands of customers across Blackpool, Fylde, Wyre, Preston and South Ribble who pay UU hundreds of pounds each year to ensure that they get exactly that”.

The debate comes after Gary Dixon, domestic retail director for United Utilities, said the firm would look at the issue of compensation once the water supply was back to normal.

The water bug alert has sparked panic buying of bottled water in the region, with supermarkets and petrol stations running out of supplies.

“By taking the water from the tap and boiling it, it’s safe to use”.

How long will I have to drink boiled water? A spokesman for Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: “The Trust has been following all the guidance provided by United Utilities and NHS England throughout the incident and kept staff and patients fully informed”.

United Utilities say it is monitoring water supplies and is hoping to be able to lift the boil water advice as soon as possible.

United Utilities said samples taken from the site were “continuing to reduce”, and cards were being put through the letterboxes of affected homes.

However, it appears unlikely that customers will receive a reimbursement for the cost of bottled water. In an FAQ section on its website, United Utilities says: “The advice we are giving is that your water can be used after you have boiled it”.

A Sainsbury’s spokesman said: “On Tuesday night we delivered additional supplies of bottled water to seven supermarkets, and an additional ten pallets were on their way yesterday afternoon”.

The company wrote on Twitter: “It’s going to (continue) into next week, carry on boiling, we will be contacting customers about compensation”.

United Utilities is advising customers to boil their water and then let it cool for all drinking, food preparation and teeth brushing as a precaution until further notice. “We have got more to do”, he said.

Martin Padley, the supplier’s chief scientific officer, thanked those affected for their “immense patience”, adding: “The health of our customers is absolutely paramount”.

“As soon as it became readily available from the tests that we carried out it was made known into the public domain from ourselves and other partners”.