Water firm United Utilities has been fined £300,000 for contaminating supplies to more than 700,000 people.
Hundreds of thousands of residents in Lancashire had to boil their water in summer 2015 when microbial parasite cryptosporidium was found in the Franklaw water treatment works in Preston.
United Utilities Water Ltd spent £25 million as a result of the contamination, including £18.3 million in voluntary compensation payments to households and businesses, Preston Crown Court heard.
Concerned families panicked bough bottles of water from local supermarkets stripping their shelves bare.
However, it’s likely that in the minds of many customers there would have been ongoing concerns because confidence had been affected.’
‘I know from first-hand the inconvenience this incident caused, having lived in Lancashire for 40 years.
Richard Banwell, prosecuting for the Drinking Water Inspectorate, said temporary operational changes at the Franklaw plant led to contaminated water from an underground reservoir going back into the water treatment facility from July 27 to July 31 2015.
The warning for customers to boil their water was issued the next day and stayed in place until early September.
The court heard there was a ‘huge’ impact on the public.
He added: ‘No doubt the need to boil water was of significant inconvenience to everybody.’