Water company must throw away 160,000 litres of bottled mineral water that was left in unsafe storage
- Bournemouth Water will have to pour the bottled water down the drain
- Wasn’t enough room to store 350 pallets of water at their warehouse in Dorset
A water company is being force to chuck away thousands of litres of bottled water, after it was left in unsafe storage.
It has been revealed that Bournemouth Water in Dorset will have to pour it down the drain, as it is ‘no longer suitable’ for human consumption.
The water supply company spent tens of thousands of pounds on 160,000 litres of mineral water last December, when freezing temperatures led to burst pipes.
However, there was not enough room to store 350 pallets of water in their Knapp Mill site warehouses in Christchurch, Dorset, and so much of their stock had to be left outdoors.
And due to sun exposure, there is a risk that the chemicals in the plastic have run in the water.
This comes after it was revealed that Bournemouth Water, which forms part of South West Water, performed badly in Water Services Regulation Authority, or Ofwat, 2022 review of water companies.
Pictured: Bottled water at Bournemouth Water’s Knapp Mill site with a ‘DO NOT USE’ sign. The ater company is chucking away thousands of litres of bottled water after it was left in unsafe storage
Pictured: The bottled water seen from a birds-eye-view at the warehouses. Bournemouth Water in Dorset bought 160,000 litres of mineral water last December when freezing temperatures led to burst pipes
There wasn’t enough room in the warehouses to store the 350 pallets of water and much of it had to be left outdoors
One local resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said: ‘There were thousands and thousands of bottles of water on them’
They were categorised as poor for customer satisfaction, supply interruptions, water quality and pollution incidents, when compared to other water suppliers.
A Bournemouth Water spokesperson said: ‘The bottled water was purchased during the freeze and thaw event in December to ensure continuity of supply for our customers.
‘Unfortunately, due to the water being stored outside, it is no longer suitable for consumption and must be disposed of and the plastic bottles will be responsibly recycled.’
The bottles have sat for months outside warehouses in Christchurch.
And when sat out in the sun for a period of time there is a risk of chemicals in the plastic running into the water.
One local resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said: ‘I saw all the pallets being delivered on large lorries.
‘There were thousands and thousands of bottles of water on them.
‘Nothing has happened to the water because they didn’t need it.
‘I get they need to have a contingency and that’s fine but surely there could have been a bit of thought.
‘They could have donated it to someone, or give it away to foodbanks or something like that.
‘There’s a war in Ukraine and people there are desperate for water.’
Bournemouth Water has been contacted by MailOnline for a further comment to clarify exactly what will happen to the water and whether it will be recycled back into their system.
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