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| United Utilities fined £300,000 for providing water unfit for human consumption | United Utilities fined £300,000 for providing water unfit for human consumption |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Water firm United Utilities has been fined £300,000 for providing water unfit for human consumption in Lancashire in the summer of 2015. | Water firm United Utilities has been fined £300,000 for providing water unfit for human consumption in Lancashire in the summer of 2015. |
| The UK's largest listed water company will also have to pay £150,000 costs for the prosecution. | The UK's largest listed water company will also have to pay £150,000 costs for the prosecution. |
| A court heard that animal waste seeped into an underground tank, contaminating drinking water supplies with the cryptosporidium parasite, which can cause diarrhoea and abdominal cramps. | |
| Up to 700,000 people were told they should boil water before drinking it and some could not drink tap water in their homes for a month after the bug was found at the Franklaw water treatment works in Preston. | |
| The incident prompted supermarkets in the area to limit the amount of bottled water per customer, following panic buying. | The incident prompted supermarkets in the area to limit the amount of bottled water per customer, following panic buying. |
| Sentencing, honorary recorder of Preston Judge Mark Brown said: “The event was completely ended by early September. However, it's likely that in the minds of many customers there would have been ongoing concerns because confidence had been affected.” | |
| United Utilities pleaded guilty to the charge in July. | |
| Speaking after the sentencing on Tuesday, the firm's chief executive Steve Mogford said: “We are very sorry for the impact this had on our customers. | |
| “I know from first-hand the inconvenience this incident caused, having lived in Lancashire for 40 years. | |
| He said the company had learned "valuable lessons" from the incident and had implemented new procedures to prevent similar contaminations happening in future. | |
| The court heard there were inherent hazards at the reservoir, including a neighbouring farm, and structural defects at the site led to cryptosporidium getting into the water after a heavy downpour of rain. | |
| The parasite was noticed after it was picked up by a filter system at the Franklaw site on 5 August. | |
| The warning for customers to boil their water was issued the next day and stayed in place until early September. | |
| The court heard there was a “huge” impact on the public. | |
| Mr Banwell said one dentist's surgery had to cancel 100 procedures as a result and could only deal with appointments which were emergencies or did not require water. | |
| He added: “No doubt the need to boil water was of significant inconvenience to everybody.” | |
| The court heard ultraviolet irradiation, a treatment which inactivates the parasite, had since been installed after a £100m investment by the company. | |
| Lisa Roberts QC, defending, said the costs would not be transferred back on to customers. | |
| She said: “So far as the company is concerned, it deeply regrets the incident in the summer of 2015 which gave rise to this. | |
| “It takes its responsibilities to customers very seriously and places their safety at the very forefront of the business.” | |
| Additional reporting by PA |