Cambridge Water has responded to accusations made by The Guardian newspaper that water containing high levels of toxic chemicals was supplied to more than 1000 homes in June 2021.
According to the story, Cambridge Water had ‘admitted’ it removed a supply containing a high level of perfluorooctane sulphonate (PFOS), which was being blended with other supplies to provide water to the homes of customers in south Cambridgeshire, but they had not informed customers of the potential exposure.
PFOS is a man-made chemical often referred to as a ‘forever chemical’ because it won’t break down over time.
In their response, Cambridge Water said: “The water of Stapleford and Great Shelford, is – and always was – safe to drink. The way the story has been reported is factually inaccurate and now we are working with our customers, the media and other stakeholders to update customers on the facts which have been misreported.”
The Guardian has since amended some of the information in their report. The story was picked up by most major news outlets, including the BBC.
