Tap water bacteria: 'Boil order' for parts of North Yorkshire lifted after higher than usual levels of coliform found in tap water

Yorkshire Water put the order in place earlier this week after coliform, a family of bacteria containing E. coli, was found in tap water in Bentham, High Bentham, Low Bentham and Burton in Lonsdale. People living in the affected areas had been warned to boil their tap water "until further notice", but that order was lifted by Yorkshire Water on Wednesday afternoon.

A spokesperson said: "We can confirm we are now able to lift the boil water instruction at all affected properties in the area as the water is now back to our usual high standards. Customers can now use their tap water as normal”.

Previously Yorkshire Water said that routine testing of the water supply there revealed it did not meet "our usual standards" and people affected should boil tap water "until further notice". In a statement, Yorkshire Water said "higher than usual levels of the coliform bacteria" had been discovered during routine tests of tap water in the area.

A staff member at a hotel in Bentham, told the BBC: "People are panic buying. We've been told to boil all our drinking water. I think it's because we've had so little rain lately." Bryan Jeffs, owner of The Black Pig Cafe, said he had stopped serving tap water altogether in favour of bottled water.

A Yorkshire Water spokesperson said bottled water had been delivered to any customer on its priority services register. Any property affected by the issue "has had a hand-delivered notice of the boil order", they said. Bottled water stations had been set up.