Home / Health / Greed, Lies, and Toxic Taps: The Camelford Scandal
Greed, Lies, and Toxic Taps: The Camelford Scandal
8 Dec
Summary
- 20 tonnes of aluminium sulphate contaminated water for 20,000 residents.
- South West Water took 16 days to warn the public about poisonous water.
- Family demands public inquiry into the 'scandalous cover-up'.
The Camelford water poisoning, Britain's worst mass poisoning, has left deep scars for nearly forty years. In July 1988, a relief driver's error at the Lowermoor Water Treatment Works led to 20 tonnes of aluminium sulphate contaminating the drinking water for approximately 20,000 people in North Cornwall.
Residents experienced a rapid onset of severe illness, with alarming symptoms and fatalities reported. Despite knowing the extent of the contamination, South West Water Authority took 16 days to inform the public, downplaying the danger and even suggesting ways to improve the water's taste. This delay is central to the ongoing accusations of incompetence and a deliberate cover-up.
Decades later, victims and their families, like the Gibbons family, continue to fight for accountability. They highlight the long-term health consequences, premature deaths, and the psychological toll exacted by the incident. The family's ongoing demand for a public inquiry underscores their belief that the truth was suppressed, particularly due to the ongoing privatization of the water industry at the time.
