Bramley: Thames Water tells hundreds of people in Surrey not to drink tap water
Hundreds of people living in a village in Surrey have been warned not to drink tap water after tests carried out by Thames Water.
A total of 616 homes in Bramley, near Guildford, have been told not to use their water supply for drinking, cooking, or brushing their teeth, in what the company calls a “precautionary” measure.
They can, however, continue to use it to shower, and wash their hands.
Tests on Thursday suggested “a possible deterioration in quality” of drinking water “in some areas”, linked to a historical fuel leak from a petrol station, Thames Water said.
Bottled water would be delivered to affected properties, the company added on Thursday evening.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, the Tory candidate standing for election in the constituency, said bottled water stations were being set up in the village.
Mr Hunt said on the X social media platform that he had spoken with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), Thames Water, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), a local councillor, and Asda – which operates a petrol station on the site of the fuel leak.
Bramley is part of the South West Surrey constituency, represented by Mr Hunt for the Conservatives until Parliament was dissolved on Thursday.
Mr Hunt is running against candidates from Labour, Lib Dems, Green, and Reform, in the new seat of Godalming and Ash, which will replace the constituency in July’s general election.
Jeremy Hunt. Pic: PA
Complaints from locals about the fuel leak date back to 2021 and Mr Hunt said it posed a risk to the broadband and telephone services of 880 BT customers as the company’s ductwork passes the site.
Tess Fayers, Thames Water’s operations director for the Thames Valley and home counties, said: “We are asking 616 Bramley properties not to drink the tap water following recent water sampling results.
“The health and safety of our customers is our number one priority, and we would like to reassure residents that this is a precautionary measure.
“We are in the process of delivering letters and bottled water to the affected properties…
“We are also identifying locations to set up bottled water stations”.
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A Waverley Borough Council spokesperson said: “We are working closely with Thames Water and other agencies to try and mitigate the impact on residents, and we will support residents wherever possible.”
An Asda spokesperson said it was working to address the issue and recognised “the impact this has had on the residents of Bramley and share their frustrations.”
“We are continuing to work closely with Thames Water and other partners to address the issues we inherited after acquiring the Bramley site,” the spokesperson added.
“We are committed to working with all parties to resolve this situation as quickly as possible.”
A “boil water” notice was put in place for about 17,000 households in Brixham, Devon, earlier this month after a parasite outbreak caused by a contaminated water supply.
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The number of confirmed cases of cryptosporidium has now reached 100, the UKHSA said on Thursday.
Thousands of homes in Surrey were left without water in November following Storm Ciaran, with more than a dozen schools forced to close.
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has called on Sir Keir Starmer to sack Treasury minister Tulip Siddiq over allegations she lived in properties linked to allies of her aunt, Sheikh Hasina, the deposed prime minister of Bangladesh.
It comes after the current Bangladeshi leader, Muhammad Yunus, said London properties used by Ms Siddiq should be investigated.
He told the Sunday Times the properties should be handed back to his government if they were acquired through “plain robbery”.
Tory leader Ms Badenoch said: “It’s time for Keir Starmer to sack Tulip Siddiq.
“He appointed his personal friend as anti-corruption minister and she is accused herself of corruption.
“Now the government of Bangladesh is raising serious concerns about her links to the regime of Sheikh Hasina.”
Ms Siddiq insists she has “done nothing wrong”.
Her aunt was ousted from office in August following an uprising against her 20-year leadership and fled to India.
Ms Siddiq is also named with her aunt in Bangladesh court documents about meetings with the Russian government.
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has called on Sir Keir to sack the minister
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As economic secretary to the Treasury, Ms Siddiq is responsible for policy on both the City and tackling corruption.
She referred herself to the prime minister’s ethics watchdog on Monday following the reports about the properties.
On the same day, the prime minister said: “Tulip Siddiq has acted entirely properly by referring herself to the independent adviser, as she’s now done, and that’s why we brought into being the new code.
“It’s to allow ministers to ask the adviser to establish the facts, and yes, I’ve got confidence in her, and that’s the process that will now be happening.”
Police in Aberdeen have widened the search area for two sisters who disappeared four days ago in the city.
Eliza and Henrietta Huszti, both 32, were last seen on CCTV on Market Street after leaving their home on Tuesday at around 2.12am.
The sisters – who are part of a set of triplets and originally from Hungary – crossed the Victoria Bridge to the Torry area and turned right on to a footpath next to the River Dee.
Eliza and Henrietta Huszti were last seen on CCTV in Market Street. Pic: Police Scotland/PA
They headed in the direction of Aberdeen Boat Club but officers said there is no evidence to suggest the missing women left the immediate area.
Specialist search teams, police dogs and a marine unit have been trying to trace the pair.
The sisters crossed Victoria Bridge before walking along a footpath next to the River Dee
The pair were heading in the direction of Aberdeen Boat Club on the south side of the River Dee
Further searches are being carried out towards the Port of Aberdeen’s South Harbour and Duthie Park.
Police Scotland said it is liaising with authorities in Hungary to support the relatives of the two sisters.
Chief Inspector Darren Bruce said: “Eliza and Henrietta’s family are understandably extremely worried about them and we are working tirelessly to find them.
“We are seriously concerned about them and have significant resources dedicated to the inquiry.”
The sisters, from Aberdeen city centre, are described as slim with long brown hair.
Henrietta Huszti. Pic: Police Scotland
Eliza Huszti. Pic: Police Scotland
Officers have requested businesses in and around the South Esplanade and Menzies Road area to review their CCTV footage for the early morning of Tuesday 7 January.
Police added they are keen to hear from anyone with dashcam footage from that time.
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