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25 Feb 99

Water Supplies at Drake Court, Rodney Court and Nelson Court

Residents in Drake Court, Rodney Court and Nelson Court, Poole have been warned not to use their water for anything other than flushing the toilet until further notice.

The precautionary advice is being given because traces of the chemical Styrene have been found in samples taken from the water supply at Drake Court last week.

Testing of the water tanks was carried out following similar precautions which were taken after the chemical was discovered in water at neighbouring Grenville Court. Tests from samples taken from Rodney Court and Nelson Court are awaited within the next 48 hours.

Residents in all three of the neighbouring blocks have been informed and will be supplied with bottled drinking water.

Alan Barlow, Policy Director, Borough of Poole said "We are working closely with the Dorset Health Authority, Wessex Water and the Chemical Incident Response Unit at Guys Hospital in London who are national experts in this field. The measures being taken are precautionary and we apologise for any inconvenience caused to residents. We hope to have a new water supply at all blocks of flats within the next couple of days. We will keep people fully informed."

Residents in the three blocks are being asked to fill in a detailed health questionnaire and to provide a urine sample for testing. Sample pots will be handed out with the questionnaire.


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22 February 1999


WATER SUPPLIES AT DRAKE COURT, RODNEY COURT AND NELSON COURT


continued . . . . .

Dr Sarah Crook, Consultant in Communicable Disease Control for the Dorset Health Authority said " We have no evidence that anyone has become ill at any of these three blocks of flats. I would like to reassure people that they shouldn't suffer any long term effects if they have come into contact with the chemical. The only likely health effects are short term such as a mild tummy upset or perhaps some skin irritation. If they have drunk contaminated water it should clear through their system within 24 hours. As a precaution the water should only be used for flushing the toilet. People should not drink it, cook with it, wash or bathe in it or clean their teeth in it until further notice."

Samples of urine from residents at Grenville Court have been sent for expert testing at Guys Hospital today. The results should be back with the Health Authority this week and anybody who tests positive will be contacted. Blood samples are being stored at the Public Health Laboratory in Poole Hospital and will only be tested if the urine sample proves positive first.

Alan Barlow, Policy Director, tel 01202 633203