Thames Water is telling hundreds of households in Surrey not to drink tap water

More than 600 households in Surrey have been told not to drink their tap water after testing by Thames Water.

The company said Thursday that the results indicated “a possible deterioration in the quality” of drinking water “in some areas.”

A total of 616 homes in and around the village of Bramley have been given the “precautionary measure” not to use their water supply for drinking, cooking or brushing their teeth – although they can continue to use it for showering and washing their hands.

It comes after the collection and assessment of drinking water in the village following a historic fuel leak from the petrol station. The notice will remain in force while further investigations are carried out, Thames Water said.

The utility added that letters and bottled water would be delivered to affected properties.

The chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, said bottled water stations are being set up in the village. Bramley is part of the South West Surrey constituency which he represented until Parliament was dissolved on Thursday.

Hunt said he had spoken to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), Thames Water, the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, a local councilor and Asda – which operates a petrol station at the site of the fuel leak.

Complaints from locals about the fuel leak date back to 2021 and Hunt said it posed a risk to the broadband and phone services of 880 BT customers as the company’s pipework passed through the site.

Tess Fayers, Thames Water operations director for the Thames Valley and home counties, said: “We are asking 616 properties in Bramley not to drink their tap water following recent water sample results. The health and safety of our customers is our first priority and we would like to reassure residents that this is a precautionary measure.”

She said the company was identifying locations to set up bottled water stations and “replace parts of our pipes on Horsham Road to reduce the risk to our customers”.

A spokesperson for Waverley Council said: “We are working closely with Thames Water and other agencies to mitigate the impact on residents, and we will support residents wherever possible.”

An Asda spokesperson said: “We continue to work closely with Thames Water and other partners to address the issues we inherited following the acquisition of the Bramley PFS site.

“We recognize the impact this has had on the residents of Bramley and share their frustrations. We are committed to working with all parties to resolve this situation as quickly as possible.”

It comes after South West Water issued a ‘boil water notice’ to around 17,000 households in Brixham, Devon, amid a parasite outbreak caused by a contaminated water supply. The number of confirmed cases of cryptosporidium had now reached 100, the UKHSA said on Thursday.

The Guardian revealed a week ago that Thames Water had sent water samples from south-east London for laboratory tests after dozens of people reported feeling unwell in Beckenham with stomach cramps, vomiting and diarrhoea.

Thousands of homes in Surrey were left without water in November after Storm Ciaran, which forced more than a dozen schools to close.

Hunt is standing for re-election in the new seat of Godalming and Ash, which will replace his former constituency.