E.coli detected in East Ness prompts Yorkshire Water to act

The bacteria was detected within the raw groundwater at East Ness, a hamlet eight miles north west of Malton.

Yorkshire Water runs a water treatment site in East Ness and said the type of bacteria was detected before treatment.

The company said there were no detections of E.coli in treated water.

A spokesperson said the firm, which supplies 5.19 million people, said it has worked with the drinking water watchdog to “make the necessary asset improvements to ensure robust disinfection continues at all affected sites”.

“We have strengthened both regional and site-specific monitoring, and each legal instrument includes a bespoke plan agreed with the DWI [Drinking Water Inspectorate] to make sure there is no impact on customers,” the Yorkshire Water spokesperson said.

They added that there have been “no detections of bacteria or raised nitrate samples at East Ness” since the “legal instruments were put in place”.

It comes as new data showed that Yorkshire Water issued 11 drinking water notices, instructing customers not to drink tap water, between 2020 to 2025.

The findings were revealed by a Freedom of Information request to the Drinking Water Inspectorate by bathroom supply company Showers to You.

It found that the notices were largely linked to raw groundwater issues, including nitrate and microbial challenges such as the E.coli detection at East Ness.

The Yorkshire Water spokesperson said the “microbial and nitrate detections we’ve seen relate to the condition of raw groundwater sources before treatment, rather than treated drinking water”.

“If we ever had evidence of a genuine risk to public health, we would immediately issue boil-water or do-not-drink notices and contact customers directly through texts, letters, leaflets, our website and local media,” they added.

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Meanwhile, a total of 379 drinking water notices were issued across the UK between 2020 and 2025, the figures showed.

Showers to You said its findings revealed that drinking water notices increased by 285 per cent, from 34 in 2020 to 131 in 2024.

In 2025, there have already been 93 notices issued, higher than 2022 and 2023 combined.

Over the last five years, the highest notices were issued by South East Water which supplies large parts of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex

The data showed that South East Water issued 51 notices, including for high nitrate levels.

South East Water’s head of water quality, Neil Hudson, said it undertakes “regular monitoring of our raw water at our treatment works, storage reservoirs and at customer properties”.

“In the rare times nitrate concentrations get close to the regulatory standard, we take action immediately, including enhanced monitoring, blending with lower nitrate sources, and, if required, the removal of specific boreholes or water treatment works from supply,” he said.