The Lowermoor Water Treatment Works supplies drinking water

Drinking water

Drinking water or potable water is water pure enough to be consumed or used with low risk of immediate or long term harm. In most developed countries, the water supplied to households, commerce and industry is all of drinking water standard, even though only a very small proportion is actually...

 to the north Cornwall

Cornwall

Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...

 water distribution network. Raw water is obtained from the Crowdy Reservoir

Crowdy Reservoir

Crowdy Reservoir is located on Bodmin Moor near Camelford in north Cornwall. It supplies water to the North Cornwall water distribution network via treatment at the Lowermoor Water Treatment Works. It is fed by run-off and drainage from surrounding moorland....

, which is 3/4 mile to the north east, and which is filled predominantly by run-off and drainage from surrounding moorland. The works were constructed in 1973.

At the time of the Camelford water pollution incident

Camelford water pollution incident

The Camelford water pollution incident involved the accidental contamination of the drinking water supply to the town of Camelford, Cornwall, England with 20 tonnes of aluminium sulphate in July 1988...

, water treatment was being carried out by South West Water

South West Water

South West Water provides drinking water and waste water services throughout Cornwall and Devon and in small areas of Dorset and Somerset. South West Water came into being in 1989 with the privatisation of the water industry...

.