Yorkshire Water is being challenged to show why it needs to spend more than £3 million piping in supplies to North York Moors villagers.

The company says "bacteriological failings" have been found in the existing spring-fed supply for the Gillamoor and Fadmoor areas.

It says it has a duty under British and European law to provide water which is safe to drink, and believes it faces prosecution by the Drinking Water Inspectorate if it does nothing.

So the firm proposes to lay about 20km (121/2 miles) of pipeline and build a number of pumping stations to supply water from a borehole at East Ness, near Nunnington, to about 100 homes on the moors.

Yorkshire Water proposes to carry out these works in connection with improvement work under way at Hutton-le-Hole and East and West Fadmoor.

But householders look set to fight the proposals - the second time in 16 years such a campaign has been launched.

Coun Charles Scott (Con, Dales) told Ryedale District Council: "If the water supply is a danger to health, I would not support retaining the existing supply. But I have grave doubts about the water authority's intentions."

He said spring water off the moors had been supplied to local residents for at least 150 years "with no detrimental effects".

Coun Scott said he had asked district council environmental health officers to look into the quality of the spring water.

He said no mention had been made of cryptosporidium, a microscopic parasite that causes a nasty intestinal illness, but aluminium levels and discoloration had been mentioned.

Coun Scott said he felt more could be done in terms of filtration and treatment of the existing supply, at a cost considerably less than £3 million.

He said: "There's going to be a terrific row in these villages. My telephone has never stopped since this came out."

Coun John Raper (Con, Sherburn) suggested Yorkshire Water should foot the bill for carrying out investigations into the quality of the existing supply.

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