News · 5 March 2026
Tanya Matthews Hospitalised After Tap Water, Bill Rises
Unsplash / manu schwendener
Tanya Matthews, a mother of four, required hospitalisation in a Devon municipality due to an illness contracted after consuming the local tap water. She experienced ongoing symptoms, including diarrhoea and stomach pains, due to cryptosporidiosis in Brixham's water. Matthews helped alert others, leading to South West Water's confirmation of the parasite and their later admission in March 2026 of having supplied unsafe water during May 2024. Following these events, her water bill saw a significant price increase.
Reported by Independent · How we write briefs