A BILL for almost £4,000, following a pollution incident in Tavistock town centre, will fall on the public purse, councillors have been told. Members of the town council?s properties committee heard the incident, which occurred at the end of the summer and sparked warnings over water safety at shops in the eastern end of the pannier market, resulted in a bill for £3,998 from South West Water. The company replaced pipework in the area following ?severe contamination by polyaromatic hydrocarbons?. Jason Harvey, water distribution team leader, told town clerk Roger Howard: ?Evidence of wasted oil-based paint cleaning agents were clearly visible as being the cause of contamination ? granular pipe surround material was even coloured and matched the green external paint finish of the outlet frontages.? The committee heard vandals who broke into the market area were to blame for the contamination. Col Howard said the council?s insurance company would not pay the bill. ?I am afraid we have to bite the bullet and pay it,? he said. Cllr Mandy Govier said: ?If we had managed to agree to CCTV cameras in the market this might never have happened ? maybe we wouldn?t be looking at this bill.? Col Howard said the vandals had broken in through the main doors from Bedford Square ? security had since been improved in the area. Councillors agreed to meet the demand from South West Water in respect of work carried out to clear the contamination.
