Accidental contamination of the public water supply at Lowermoor, Camelford: an assessment of the possible veterinary consequences

Compton Paddock Laboratories, Newbury.

As a result of the delivery of 20 tons of concentrated aluminum sulphate solution into the wrong part of the Lowermoor water treatment works the water supplies of 20,000 people and many thousands of cows, sheep, pigs and poultry became contaminated with aluminium, copper, zinc and lead. When the water mains were flushed into the rivers Allen and Camel many fish were killed by the high concentrations of aluminium. However, there appear to have been no detrimental effects on farm live-stock; this was either because the animals were likely to have ingested less of the toxic elements from the water than they ingest with normal components of their diet, including soil, or because the abnormally high intakes lasted for only a short time.