A FARMER from Sutton Veny has been fined £9,000 by Salisbury Magistrates Court after Wiltshire Council took him to court for providing unsafe drinking water.

David Hobbs, of Sutton Veny, appeared at Salisbury Magistrates on October 17 after failing to comply with health regulations and failing to improve the condition of the water supply fed from a borehole on his land.

A risk assessment was carried out and identified several defects with the supply. Water storage tanks proved to not have vermin-proof lids which was allowing open access to contaminate the water supply, and bacteria, including E Coli, was detected which indicated that there had been faecal contamination of the water supply.

Jerry Wickham, cabinet member for public health and public protection said: “We take incidents of this nature very seriously. Our priority is always to protect the health and wellbeing of our residents and we address any risks which may compromise that. I’m pleased the appropriate action has been taken. This case highlights how important it is to keep private water supplies clean and the need to inspect the supply regularly.”

Officers from Wiltshire Council attended the farm at the end of October to check on the progress being made. Work to improve and protect the water supply have now been completed and the supply will now be treated. The council will also continue to monitor the water supply to ensure it is safe to drink.