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| Water firm fined for sickness bug | Water firm fined for sickness bug |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Dwr Cymru has been fined £60,000 after admitting supplying unfit water that left hundreds ill in north Wales. | Dwr Cymru has been fined £60,000 after admitting supplying unfit water that left hundreds ill in north Wales. |
| In total, 231 people who drank water from a Snowdonia reservoir suffered from sickness after the outbreak of the cryptosporidium bug in November 2005. | |
| The company accepted it should have begun monitoring for the stomach bug much sooner than it did, Caernarfon magistrates court was told. | The company accepted it should have begun monitoring for the stomach bug much sooner than it did, Caernarfon magistrates court was told. |
| The company was also ordered to pay £69,000 in costs. | The company was also ordered to pay £69,000 in costs. |
| The outbreak of cryptosporidium focused on the Llyn Cwellyn reservoir at Rhyd-ddu, which serves 70,000 homes in parts of Gwynedd and Anglesey. | The outbreak of cryptosporidium focused on the Llyn Cwellyn reservoir at Rhyd-ddu, which serves 70,000 homes in parts of Gwynedd and Anglesey. |
| However, while health officials were confident the reservoir was the most likely candidate, tests at the lake always proved negative. | However, while health officials were confident the reservoir was the most likely candidate, tests at the lake always proved negative. |
| At the hearing in Caernarfon, Dwr Cymru pleaded guilty to four charges of supplying water unfit for human consumption. | At the hearing in Caernarfon, Dwr Cymru pleaded guilty to four charges of supplying water unfit for human consumption. |
| The board of directors are truly devastated and sorry John Charles Rees QCDefending Dwr Cymru | The board of directors are truly devastated and sorry John Charles Rees QCDefending Dwr Cymru |
| John Charles Rees QC, defending Dwr Cymru, said the company had been "slow" in implementing monitoring and sampling of water in 2005. | John Charles Rees QC, defending Dwr Cymru, said the company had been "slow" in implementing monitoring and sampling of water in 2005. |
| But he added: "Even if the defendant had exercised all reasonable care and due diligence the outbreak wouldn't have been prevented." | But he added: "Even if the defendant had exercised all reasonable care and due diligence the outbreak wouldn't have been prevented." |
| The court was told that the outbreak had led to a review of the way the whole water industry worked, and as a result regulations had been changed. | The court was told that the outbreak had led to a review of the way the whole water industry worked, and as a result regulations had been changed. |
| "It was truly an unusual event," added the defence barrister. | "It was truly an unusual event," added the defence barrister. |
| He said that the managing director and board of directors were "truly devastated and sorry". | He said that the managing director and board of directors were "truly devastated and sorry". |
| Water had to be boiled for two months in effected areas | Water had to be boiled for two months in effected areas |
| Gwynfor Jones, chair of the bench at the court, said the outbreak had caused "catastrophic suffering" to the public. | Gwynfor Jones, chair of the bench at the court, said the outbreak had caused "catastrophic suffering" to the public. |
| "The aggravating features were the failures to heed warnings. There was a failure to recognise these in time," he said. | "The aggravating features were the failures to heed warnings. There was a failure to recognise these in time," he said. |
| Prosecuting for the Drinking Water Inspectorate, Alistair Webster QC described how one woman suffered boils, diarrhoea and depression after contracting the bug. | Prosecuting for the Drinking Water Inspectorate, Alistair Webster QC described how one woman suffered boils, diarrhoea and depression after contracting the bug. |
| The company still faces legal action from a number of those who fell ill during the outbreak. The defence team assured the court that Dwr Cymru would settle all claims for compensation "where medically proven". | The company still faces legal action from a number of those who fell ill during the outbreak. The defence team assured the court that Dwr Cymru would settle all claims for compensation "where medically proven". |
| In a statement after the hearing, the company said it accepted that more could have been done to understand the risks. | In a statement after the hearing, the company said it accepted that more could have been done to understand the risks. |
| "We should have started monitoring for cryptosporidium sooner than we did. We have learned some important lessons." it said. | "We should have started monitoring for cryptosporidium sooner than we did. We have learned some important lessons." it said. |