WATER bosses from throughout the region have met six months on from the cryptosporidium scare which saw households in Chorley and South Ribble forced to boil drinking water for a prolonged period.

The conference discussed what lessons the industry has learned from last summer’s contamination scare which affected around 300,00 people.

Consumer Council for Water is held its board meeting yesterday at the Marriott Hotel in Broughton.

The source and cause of the contamination last August has still not been publicly released.

At the meeting yesterday representatives from United Utilities, Yorkshire Water and Northumbrian Water discussed the matter with the water watchdog which also examined the recent floods which also affected thousands of homes and businesses in the county.

Alan Lovell, chair of CCWater, said: “We will be looking at good practice in preventing and managing water quality issues following the cryptosporidium incident which affected more than 300,000 household customers and many businesses in Lancashire for several weeks last summer.”

An investigation into the cryptosporidium contamination was launched by the Drinking Water Inspectorate last August and is still continuing.

The inquiry has centred on the Franklaw water treatment plant north of Preston.

Last year more than 300,000 households in Lancashire were told to boil drinking water after contamination with a microbial parasite.

Routine tests by United Utilities found traces of cryptosporidium at Franklaw water treatment works.

The parasite can cause gastrointestinal complaints