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| Lancashire homes told to boil water after parasite found | Lancashire homes told to boil water after parasite found |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| More than 300,000 households in Lancashire will have to boil drinking water into next week, United Utilities has said. | More than 300,000 households in Lancashire will have to boil drinking water into next week, United Utilities has said. |
| Routine tests by the company found "low" traces of the microscopic parasite cryptosporidium at Franklaw water treatment works outside Preston. | |
| The alert affects Blackpool, Chorley, Fylde, Preston, South Ribble and Wyre. | The alert affects Blackpool, Chorley, Fylde, Preston, South Ribble and Wyre. |
| Cryptosporidium can cause gastrointestinal complaints such as diarrhoea and abdominal cramps. | Cryptosporidium can cause gastrointestinal complaints such as diarrhoea and abdominal cramps. |
| People with weak immune systems are likely to be more seriously affected. | People with weak immune systems are likely to be more seriously affected. |
| Some customers have criticised United Utilities for not informing customers quickly enough. | Some customers have criticised United Utilities for not informing customers quickly enough. |
| Blackpool resident Robert Parker said local shops had sold out of bottled water. | Blackpool resident Robert Parker said local shops had sold out of bottled water. |
| No advice | No advice |
| He emailed the BBC saying: "We, as United Utilities customers did not get any advise regarding this issue, and only heard via the BBC news this morning, and have drank several glasses of water during the interim time period. | He emailed the BBC saying: "We, as United Utilities customers did not get any advise regarding this issue, and only heard via the BBC news this morning, and have drank several glasses of water during the interim time period. |
| "We believe that United Utilities have not taken the issue seriously enough and not made sufficient steps to advise customers. We have an on-line account with them and haven't received an email, which we thought would be the minimum response!!" | "We believe that United Utilities have not taken the issue seriously enough and not made sufficient steps to advise customers. We have an on-line account with them and haven't received an email, which we thought would be the minimum response!!" |
| "My wife and I need to take regular medication and our only recourse is to now boil water and cool it off prior to use, not ideal." | "My wife and I need to take regular medication and our only recourse is to now boil water and cool it off prior to use, not ideal." |
| Cryptosporidium exists in the environment in a form called an oocyst, which is less than a tenth of the thickness of a human hair. | Cryptosporidium exists in the environment in a form called an oocyst, which is less than a tenth of the thickness of a human hair. |
| Traces were found in recent samples of water from Franklaw works, a United Utilities spokesman added. | Traces were found in recent samples of water from Franklaw works, a United Utilities spokesman added. |