HOUSEHOLDS in the Aboyne area were this week advised to boil water before using after routine sampling suggested that it had been affected by the recent heavy rain.
Higher than normal levels of the Cryptosporidium bacteria, which can cause sickness and diarrhoea, were found in the supply.
NHS Grampian and Scottish Water delivered notices to all affected households on Tuesday evening and also made bottled w
ater available to all vulnerable customers. Bottled water was also handed out to all schools on Wednesday.
In December last year more than 1,000 households in Aboyne were told to boil water after high levels of the bacteria were found in the village's water supply.
Dr Corri Black, consultant in public health medicine at NHS Grampian, said: "This is a precautionary measure but public health must always be our priority. The samples indicate higher than normal levels of a naturally-occurring organism called cryptosporidium. We will continue to monitor the quality of the water and once it has returned to normal we will lift the boil advice."
Ian Burnett, Scottish Water's operations manager for the north-east, added: "I'd like to thank customers for their patience. The heavy rain has washed naturally-occurring materials into the water we use for the supply and the treatment works has struggled to filter this out. We must follow the advice of the health professionals. Meantime we will continue to take samples and keep people informed."
Information about cryptosporidium is available on the Scottish Water website: scottishwater.co.uk.
