Thames Water issued a precautionary ‘do not drink’ notice to 616 Bramley households in Surrey yesterday following results the company received yesterday indicating elevated levels of hydrocarbons.
Map of affected properties
The company has been carrying out additional water sampling in the village of Bramley since October 2023, following a historical fuel leak from the village petrol station.
The do not drink tap water advice notice means 616 properties are asked not to use their water supply for drinking, cooking or brushing their teeth - customers can continue to use the water to shower and wash hands.
The water company said letters and bottled water were being hand delivered to the affected properties.
The ‘do not drink’ advice has been issued as a precautionary measure, following the test results which indicate a possible deterioration in quality in some areas.
Thames Water said in a statement it would like to reassure its customers that the village water supply has been safe to drink up to this point, as confirmed through its rigorous water testing, which has also been subject to regular review working alongside UKHSA throughout this period.
The ‘do not drink’ advice will remain in place while further investigations are carried out.
During this time the affected customers are advised:
- Don’t drink the tap water or give to pets.
- Don’t use tap water even after boiling.
- Don’t prepare or cook food using tap water.
- Don’t use tap water to brush your teeth.
- Can use tap water to wash.
- Can use tap water to flush the loo.
Tess Fayers, Operations Director for the Thames Valley and Home Counties said:
“We are asking 616 Bramley properties not to drink the tap water following recent water sampling results.
“The health and safety of our customers is our number one priority, and we would like to reassure residents that this is a precautionary measure. We are in the process of delivering letters and bottled water to the affected properties. We are also identifying locations to set-up bottled water stations and we will share this information with our customers as soon as possible.
“We are already on site in the village proactively replacing sections of our pipes on Horsham Road to reduce the risk to our customers.”
Thames Water said it will continue to carefully assess the situation through its monitoring programme and will work with public authorities, including UKHSA and Waverly Borough Council.
A Waverley Borough Council spokesperson, said:
“We are working closely with Thames Water and other agencies to try and mitigate the impact on residents, and we will support residents wherever possible.”
An Asda spokesperson said:
“We are continuing to work closely with Thames Water and other partners to address the issues we inherited after acquiring the Bramley PFS site. We recognise the impact this has had on the residents of Bramley and share their frustrations. We are committed to working with all parties to resolve this situation as quickly as possible.”
Ray Moulds, Sales Director at Flood Control International, takes a look at how automated sliding floodgates are supporting secondary containment at water and sewerage company sites.
With the UK government demanding a 50% reduction in storm overflow spills by 2029, the era of reactive management is over. Speaking in the House of Commons on 21 July 2025, then environment secretary Steve Reed said, “This Government will cut water companies’ sewage pollution in half by the end of the decade.”
ERG, the leading supplier of odour control systems and industrial gas cleaning & thermal systems, has been awarded the coveted King’s Award for Enterprise.
Welsh Water’s new artificial intelligence-driven tool, ORAI, has been shortlisted for three categories at the prestigious British Data Awards 2026 – underscoring the company’s commitment to using cutting-edge technology to deliver better outcome for customers.
Hear how Scottish Water has completed its £235 million Ayrshire Glasgow Resilience Project - customers across Greater Glasgow, Ayrshire and East Renfrewshire will now benefit from a more secure and resilient water supply.
Hear how United Utilities is accelerating its investment to reduce spills from storm overflows across the Northwest.
Find out more about the remarkable career opportunities on offer at WSP - scroll down to watch the inspirational video.