Finger pointed at firefighters over dirty water

IAIN TIMMS got a shock when he went for his Sunday bath - the water was the colour of the Thames.

'It was absolutely undrinkable,' said the 53-year-old.

'And it was the result of the water having gone through the filter.'

He rang Guernsey Water and asked for a member of staff to come out to resolve the problem.

It is believed that the Fire and Rescue Service testing a water hydrant outside Mr Timms' property, on Clos de Foulon, St Peter Port, caused the problem.

His bungalow is at the end of a pipe on a slope and he has a filter to prevent any build up of sediment from entering his water system.

'This happens several times a year. I can't use the hot water tank and the header tank because the whole system needs flushing out,' he said.

'I can't do it because I'm disabled and when I called Guernsey Water they said they didn't have the manpower to do it.'

A member of Guernsey Water's maintenance staff visited the property on Sunday afternoon and fitted a smaller filter to replace the old one.

Although Mr Timms has clear water again, he will not turn the hot water system on until it has been flushed out.

Director of water services Andrew Redhead said it was highly likely the Fire and Rescue Service was in the area on Sunday and that had caused the problem.