Resident concerned with yellow water in Christchurch and Bournemouth

It comes after concerns were raised by a resident over the yellow water seen in both Bournemouth and Christchurch.

She first noticed the change in water colour two weeks ago at work in Charminster, before she noticed the same change at her home in West Christchurch, some three miles away.

Upon contacting South West Water, she was told initially that the cause of the discolouring was due to a ‘large change in flow in the water mains,’ and was told later that the heavy rainfall had increased the amount of peat in the water supply.

• If you've seen yellow water from the taps where you live, get in touch

She was told to run a tap for two hours, to see if it cleared, which it did not.

When asked if the water was still safe to drink, the water company said that it was safe to drink, but then she says the company offered to reimburse her for bottled water.

This suggested to the resident that the water may not be safe to use as normal. However, South West Water have said that they are not currently advising customers to buy bottled water.

She has also asked the company for a summary of the water quality in the area, which they have not supplied.

A Bournemouth Water spokesperson said: “We are aware that some customers in the Christchurch and Bournemouth areas have noticed a slight change in the colour of their tap water.

“This has been caused by the recent heavy rainfall, which has resulted in increased colour in the river that supplies the Knapp Mill Water Treatment Works.

“We’d like to reassure customers that we are monitoring the situation closely and that the water is fine to continue to use as normal. We will keep customers updated and we would like to thank them for their patience.”