So here’s what’s going on — people living in High Bentham, Low Bentham, and Burton-in-Lonsdale are being told to boil their tap water before using it. This all started after routine tests found some bacteria in the water supply. It's not the kind of news anyone wants to hear, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.
On May 11, Yorkshire Water started hand-delivering notices to homes, basically warning everyone not to drink or cook with tap water unless it’s been boiled first. It’s one of those situations where no one’s quite panicking, but yeah — people are definitely being careful.
What Was Actually Found in the Water?
During their usual checks, Yorkshire Water found coliform bacteria in the supply. Now, to be clear — coliform on its own isn’t super dangerous. But its presence means the water might be contaminated with more harmful stuff. It's more like a warning sign that something’s not quite right.
Yorkshire Water didn’t waste time. Once the bacteria showed up in testing, they sent out notices and told everyone to start boiling water for things like:
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Drinking
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Brushing your teeth
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Making food that’s not going to be cooked
It’s all about being extra cautious until they can confirm everything’s clean again.
What You Can Still Use Tap Water For
Even though the water isn’t safe to drink unless boiled, you don’t have to avoid using it completely. According to Yorkshire Water, it’s still okay to use tap water (without boiling) for stuff like:
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Taking a shower or bath
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Washing clothes
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Doing the dishes
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Flushing the toilet
Basically, anything where you're not going to drink the water or get it in your mouth should be fine. But yeah, if you’re unsure, it’s best to just boil it.
What’s Being Done to Help Locals
To be fair, Yorkshire Water is trying to stay on top of things. They’ve already taken a few steps to make life a little easier for people dealing with this:
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They’ve been delivering bottled water to folks on their priority services list
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A dedicated webpage has been set up so people can check the latest updates about their area
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Water quality checks are happening regularly to keep an eye on things
A Yorkshire Water spokesperson said they understand how frustrating this is and that their teams are working hard to sort it out as quickly as possible.
What Exactly Is Coliform Bacteria?
Here’s the simple version: coliform bacteria is usually found in soil, plants, and even animal waste. It’s not usually dangerous on its own, but when it shows up in tap water, it can be a signal that something else — like E. coli — might be lurking around too. That’s why these boil notices are taken seriously. It’s better to act now than deal with something worse later.
What’s Happening Next?
Yorkshire Water says they’re:
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Still investigating what caused the contamination in the first place
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Running regular water tests to keep an eye on the situation
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Updating the public whenever there’s any progress
For now, residents are being told to keep boiling their water before using it for anything personal or food-related. And if you’re unsure what to do, it’s a good idea to check their website for any new info.
