A CARER is worried about the welfare of residents after discovering a green and yellow discolouration in the tap water at her home.

Fenella Griffiths, a full-time parent who also cares for her mother who has alzheimer’s, suspects that there may be a problem with water being used by residents in Burgess Hill and nearby areas.

The Burgess Hill resident said she has also been told by people living in the area that they have been experiencing vomiting and suffering from diarrhoea.

Ms Griffiths’ mother attends Villa Adastra day care centre in nearby Hassocks up to four days a week. She said elderly residents there had been experiencing the symptoms up until very recently.

Ms Griffiths said: “I am not alone when I say the water has a slight discolouration.

“It looks like someone has urinated in it.

“I am talking about all over Burgess Hill.

“There are places that are day centres also experiencing a heavy amount of people going down with these symptoms.

“You also have people like my mother who go to care centres that are shut because people are ill.

“This is affecting other residents who have also told me they see the same thing.

“If it gets really bad and even more people get ill from this then it is not going to be a Christmas of fun and joy.

“Normally a problem like this is because of a blockage.

“Water isn’t free and we do have to pay for it so it should be clean.

“There is obviously something not quite right and people need to report it or post it on social media if they see it.”

Ms Griffiths said an inspector from Southern Water has been to her property to check the water and take samples.

She said she was told by the inspector that he would be contacting Environmental Health with any relevant findings.

A Southern Water spokesman said: “I very much doubt we are supplying water that is causing dysentery, which is a very serious condition.

“We deal with the waste water in the area but not drinking water.

“The nearest waste treatment plant is some way away.”

The spokesman added that South East Water is responsible for tap water in the area.

South East Water director of asset and regulation, David Hinton said: “We are aware of incidents of discoloured water in the Burgess Hill area during the weekend.

“This was caused by higher than normal levels of manganese, an element which occurs naturally in water, and is not normally harmful to health or associated with vomiting and diarrhoea."