HIP - problem with water analysis

kte

Hi, hope someone can advise. We're hoping to put in an offer on a repossed house today...but I am just reading the HIP which I received last night and in the Thames Water Drainage and Water search question 23 says

"The analysis confirmed that the tests failed to meet the standards of the 2000 Regulations or the 2001 Regulations, in relation to another substance or substances, and these are: 1 out of 52 tests failed to meet the standard for Clostridium perfringens bacteria"

This is the first HIP that I've looked at as I'm a first time buyer...is this something that I should be worried about or is it a 'normal' kind of repsonse not to pass all of the tests? I'm trying to make sure as far as possible that we're not walking into a minefield of expenses...

Thanks in advance

poppysarah

Ring the water board and ask them

neas

try google the bacteria... most likely it found quantities of the bacteria above a certain level... in the water supply?

neas

URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Clostridium_perfringens&action=edit&section=2"]edit[/URL Food poisoning

In the United Kingdom and United States, C. perfringens bacteria are the third-most-common cause of food-borne illness, with poorly prepared meat and poultry the main culprits in harboring the bacterium.[3] The Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin (CPE) mediating the disease is heat-labile (dies at 74 °C) and can be detected in contaminated food, if not heated properly, and feces .[4]
Incubation time is between 6 and 24 (commonly 10-12) hours after ingestion of contaminated food. Often, meat is well prepared but too far in advance of consumption. Since C. perfringens forms spores that can withstand cooking temperatures, if let stand for long enough, germination ensues and infective bacterial colonies develop. Symptoms typically include abdominal cramping and diarrhea; vomiting and fever are unusual. The whole course usually resolves within 24 hours. Very rare, fatal cases of clostridial necrotizing enteritis (also known as Pig-Bel) have been known to involve "Type C" strains of the organism, which produce a potently ulcerative β-toxin. This strain is most frequently encountered in Papua New Guinea.
It is likely that many cases of C. perfringens food poisoning remain subclinical, as antibodies to the toxin are common among the population. This has led to the conclusion that most of the population has experienced food poisoning due to C. perfringens.[3]

Quick check from wikipedia

neas

Wouldny like that in the water supply as it would give you food poisiong potentially from water. Obviously theres something you could do about it in the worst case anyways.

kte

There is something that feels a bit creepy about it being in the water supply! Thanks for the thoughts - I think I will call Thames Water and see what they say...

Richard_Webster

The entry means that that carried out test in a random sample of 52 houses in a large area and in one case this bacteria was found. It is not necessarily anything to do with the water supply but more likely to do with the sanitation and pipework in the particular house.