Poison Water review – a damning tale of greed, incompetence and Britain's biggest mass poisoning

In a shocking tale of corporate greed and institutional incompetence, "Poison Water" is a damning documentary that recounts Britain's biggest mass poisoning, with far-reaching consequences for thousands of residents. The story begins in 1988 when residents in north Cornwall noticed their tap water was blue, black, or gelatinous, accompanied by a rapid outbreak of ill health from vomiting and diarrhoea to rashes, blisters, and severe headaches.

For two weeks, those in power were slow to acknowledge the problem, instead telling residents that the water was safe and suggesting they mix it with orange squash to improve the taste. Meanwhile, many people suffered long-term health problems, and some even died prematurely – a fact that families are convinced was caused by drinking and bathing in contaminated water.

The documentary features Carole Wyatt, a resident of St Minver who bravely speaks out about her experience and demands justice be served. Her story serves as a stark reminder of the miscarriage of justice that has plagued this case for decades, with only a government apology to show for it.

New interviews with experts, politicians, and residents bring the four-decade-old saga into sharp focus, casting new light on the events surrounding the poisoning. Michael Howard, then minister for water and planning under Margaret Thatcher, denies any knowledge of a letter that suggests government officials were keen to avoid prosecution in order not to scare off investors.

However, many others remember the time vividly and have been left with permanent scars – like Doug Cross's wife who died from Alzheimer's after her tap water was contaminated. The 20,000 people affected by this disaster remain without definitive proof that their exposure to the toxic water caused them harm, or a genuine effort to uncover how it impacted them.

As "Poison Water" brings the shocking story into the present day, one can only hope that those in power are finally listening and will take responsibility for this egregious failure.

I just watched this documentary and I'm still reeling from the sheer scale of incompetence on display . The idea that anyone could ignore a situation like this for so long is just mind-boggling. And to think that some people are still being denied answers and justice 40 years later is just heartbreaking .

I mean, can you imagine if this had happened in your own community? It's easy to sit back and think "that's not our problem" but it's exactly that kind of attitude that allows stuff like this to happen. And the fact that some people are still trying to cover their tracks is just infuriating .

But what really gets me is the impact on the families who were affected. The idea that someone could die prematurely because of contaminated water is just horrific . And it's not just the loss of life, it's the long-term effects on people's health and wellbeing. It's just so unfair .

Anyway, I think this documentary is a wake-up call for everyone involved. We need to hold those in power accountable for their actions (or lack thereof) and make sure that something like this never happens again .

I'm still fuming about this! Can you believe the government's response was to tell people to mix the water with orange squash? Like, what kind of bureaucratic incompetence is that?! And now, 20 years later, the victims are still left without answers and no real justice. This documentary is a total wake-up call for our leaders – we need to hold them accountable for their failures. It's heartbreaking to hear about Doug Cross's wife dying from Alzheimer's due to contaminated water... so tragic!

man... thinkin' about this 'poison water' thing is like... have you ever noticed how our societies value profit over people? I mean, can you imagine if a company made us drink some dodgy juice and nobody held them accountable? wouldn't we be all up in arms? but when it's the government or some big corporation involved, suddenly everybody's like "oh, let's just move on"

and what really gets me is that 20k people are still livin' with this uncertainty... their health, their lives, all affected by something they didn't even choose. it's like, we need to acknowledge that our systems can fail us in the worst ways and then actually try to fix it, not just offer a half-hearted apology

i guess what i'm sayin' is, this whole 'poison water' thing is like a big ol' mirror reflectin' all these deeper issues... about accountability, power, and puttin' people over profit. we need to have some real conversations about how we can do better

just watched this documentary and i'm still reeling from it the way they covered up the whole thing is insane - all those people suffering from long-term health issues and barely anyone held accountable it's like, what kind of system lets that happen? and to think they even told people to mix their contaminated water with orange squash like that's a solution i'm so glad there are still people speaking out about this case, it's a shame it took them so long the 20k affected people deserve answers, for real

Just watched this documentary and I'm still reeling from what I just saw... like 20k people affected by poisoned water? It's insane! The fact that officials knew about it but didn't act is just disgusting. And to think they told people to mix the water with orange squash?! What kind of government doesn't prioritize its own citizens' health? I'm so frustrated for everyone who went through this and still hasn't gotten justice. It's crazy how a few letters can hide the truth, it's like a big cover-up!

This documentary is super frustrating . I mean, who lets their citizens drink poison? It's crazy how slow everyone was to acknowledge the problem back then. They kept telling people it was fine and even suggested mixing it with orange squash like that's a good solution . And now we're stuck trying to figure out if the water really did cause all these health problems or not.

It's like, 20 years have passed and people are still waiting for answers. I feel so bad for those families who lost loved ones and are left with no closure. The government apology is just a slap on the wrist at this point . We need concrete action and real accountability here. I hope this documentary does bring some attention to the issue, maybe we'll finally get some justice served

Ugh I'm literally shaking just thinking about it... like what's the point of even having a gov't if they're just gonna mess everything up? 20k people affected, still no justice or answers, that's just appalling . And to think the 'minister' at the time is still denying any knowledge of it... like, what's he hiding? The fact that families have been left with permanent scars and even loss of loved ones is just heartbreaking . We need real change, not just empty apologies and gov't apologies

I'm so sad about this the fact that people had to suffer like that because of some corporate greed and government incompetence is just heartbreaking I mean, 20k people affected and no one's been held accountable for decades? That's just not right they should be ashamed of themselves. And what really gets my goat is that the gov apologized like, what, 10 years after it happened? It's time for some real accountability now!

I'm still trying to wrap my head around how a government can be so callous about its citizens' health. Like, what kind of system allows them to downplay the severity of an emergency like that? And don't even get me started on Michael Howard's denial - it's just another example of the powerful using their influence to cover up mistakes.

I mean, think about it - if 20,000 people are still living with the consequences of contaminated water, doesn't that say something about the effectiveness of our public health system? It's a stark reminder that we need more transparency and accountability from those in power. We can't keep sweeping issues like this under the rug and expecting everyone to just move on.

The fact that Carole Wyatt had to fight so hard for justice, even decades later, is infuriating. It's a classic case of the underdog taking on the establishment, and we should be supporting her and other victims all the way. We need more voices like hers speaking out against systemic failures and pushing for real change.

It's time to ask ourselves: what kind of society do we want to live in? One where our leaders prioritize profits over people, or one where they take responsibility for keeping us safe? The answer is clear - it's time for a more just and equitable system.

I'm still trying to wrap my head around this whole thing. I mean, who knew our tap water could be so deadly? It's just crazy that it took 4 decades for people to get some answers and even then, there's no clear proof of what actually happened. The fact that the government is just giving an apology without doing any real investigation is just not right .

I feel for all those families who suffered because of this tragedy. It's like they're still waiting for justice, and it's heartbreaking to see. I hope "Poison Water" does bring some much-needed attention to this case and finally gets people in power to listen and take responsibility. Maybe now we can start getting some real answers about what really went down .

just watched poison water doco and its giving me major feels cant believe ppl in power were so clueless about it all these years the fact that some people died prematurely because of their own tap water is just heartbreaking i wish theres a way to bring justice to those who got affected by this tragedy we need more docs like this one to hold ppl in power accountable for their mistakes

I just watched this documentary "Poison Water" and it's honestly really messed up I'm trying to imagine if this happened at our school and how long it would take for the administration to acknowledge the problem, especially when it comes to something as simple as drinking water It's crazy that people had to suffer like that just because of corporate greed. And the fact that there's still no clear answer on what caused the poisoning is wild I hope this documentary helps bring some justice to those affected and makes sure that our schools prioritize their students' health and safety

I just watched the most disturbing doco about the Cornwall water poisoning back in 88 still mind blown how long it took the gov to acknowledge the problem let alone fix it. Those people suffered for decades, and some didn't even live to see justice served I mean what's a government apology when lives are lost? And now they're saying the minister at the time was clueless about a letter that could've changed everything but if we don't hold them accountable how can we trust anything else they say? The thing is, 20k people were affected and still no one knows for sure if it was all their fault or what

I'm still reeling from the revelations presented in "Poison Water". The sheer incompetence displayed by those in power is staggering . It's heartbreaking to think of the 20,000 people who were left to suffer with permanent health consequences due to a preventable tragedy . The fact that some are still without definitive proof of harm is an egregious miscarriage of justice .

The documentary sheds light on the systemic failures that allowed this disaster to unfold, and it's a stark reminder of the importance of holding those in power accountable . The government apology is woefully inadequate considering the scope of the tragedy . I can only hope that this documentary sparks meaningful change and leads to some semblance of justice for those affected .

omg this is so disturbing i mean i knew about the pollution in britain but i had no idea it was that bad like who knew people were dying because of their tap water?! it's crazy how the government just kept on saying everything was fine and they didn't do anything to help the people affected it's like they just wanted to sweep it under the rug.

i think what really gets me is that there are still so many questions unanswered after all these years like did they even try to find out who was responsible or how it happened? it's not right that people are still living with health problems and not getting any real answers or compensation it's just so frustrating.

I'm still trying to wrap my head around this! The fact that our government knew about the contaminated water and chose to ignore it is just heartbreaking . I mean, 20,000 people were affected, some even died prematurely... what's worse is that nobody has been held accountable for decades . This documentary "Poison Water" really brings out the worst in humans, you know? The fact that some politicians are still denying any knowledge of a letter that suggests they were more concerned about investors than people's health is just mind-boggling . I feel so angry on behalf of those affected, but at the same time, it's great to see them speaking out and demanding justice . Fingers crossed that this documentary will finally get some action going!

idk man... I'm really upset about what happened to those people in Cornwall , but at the same time, I don't think it's entirely fair to blame the gov't for everything. I mean, they did apologize, right? And it's not like they just left everyone to rot... but on the other hand, 4 decades is a looong time to be waiting for answers and justice . and what about all those people who died prematurely? that's some serious negligence if you ask me . but can we also blame the residents for mixing their own water with orange squash lol? I don't know, man... it just seems like a super complicated situation to me .