Utility company reassures Islanders following skin-irritation speculation

Utility company reassures Islanders following skin-irritation speculation

A thread on social media attracted comments from scores of people who said their skin-related issues had become so bad in recent weeks that they had scratched to the point of bleeding, had had to call nurses for home visits.

One woman, Angie Belcher, who started the thread, said the eczema underneath her eyes had become so ‘itchy’ and ‘painful’ that she had had to see a dermatologist at the Hospital, where she was prescribed steroid cream.

The 62-year-old said her three-year-old granddaughter had also been suffering with uncharacteristic eczema on the ‘soles of her feet’.

‘I am convinced it is the water,’ said the Grouville parishioner. ‘I was thinking it could be the water and then I put a post on Facebook and did not expect a response, but it went a bit crazy. I was born in Jersey, moved away for five years and came back in 2011 and have never had a reaction like this. I have been washing my face with bottled water after a shower. I think it is something in the water – maybe pesticides from the fields, as they have started digging the potatoes now.’

Helier Smith, chief executive of Jersey Water, said drinking water supplies were ‘consistently of a very high quality’ and, more specifically, that levels of nitrates and pesticides in supplied water had been compliant with limits last year and this year to date.

Mr Smith added: ‘We have become aware of a Facebook forum in which the incidence of eczema and other skin complaints is being linked with mains water in Jersey. We would advise anyone experiencing any medical complaint to seek professional medical help in order to determine a proper diagnosis and the underlying cause. The quality and makeup of mains water in Jersey is consistent over time and meets or exceeds international quality standards. As such, we can reassure our customers as to the consistently high quality water we supply.

‘In 2018, based on around 15,000 samples taken from our treatment works, service reservoirs and in our customer’s homes, we achieved a compliance rate of 99.99%. More specifically, the water we supplied during 2018 and 2019 to date has been fully compliant with all limits for pesticides and nitrates. The water-quality standards we work to in Jersey are internationally recognised and based on EU water-quality parameters.’

GP Dr Nigel Minihane said he was aware of no correlation between water qualities and skin conditions such as eczema.

Chlorine is used in Jersey Water’s treatment process to disinfect and kill bacteria. A small quantity of the chemical stays in the water after treatment to ensure it remains disinfected. Chlorine can dry the skin.

Last month, the JEP reported that levels of weed killer found in a stream feeding Queen’s Valley reservoir were 50 times the legal limit. The finding did not affect water supplied to householders.

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