A MAJOR public health alert was revealed today over controversial plans to allow hard-up East Lancashire families to pay for their water in advance.

Health chiefs fear that an outbreak of infectious disease, including dysentery and hepatitis A, could spread through communities if hordes of householders are cut off.

Serious concern is being expressed that North West Water's prepayment 'smart card' scheme will lead to dozens of families having their supplies disconnected.

And public health chiefs are worried that the proposal will expose deprived areas of East Lancashire to a host of illnesses and food poisoning.

Lancashire County Council has already mounted a legal challenge against water watchdog OFWAT for supporting North West Water's prepayment proposal. Under the scheme if people don't pay, they will get no water.

Today the Lancashire Evening Telegraph can disclose that bosses at East Lancashire Health Authority have joined the growing bandwagon of concern. Public health boss Dr Stephen Morton has voiced his anxieties in letters to local MPs, North West Water and environmental health officers. Dr Morton said: "The public health implications of this scheme are considerable, especially for young children, the elderly and chronically sick if water is cut off.

"The main difficulty will be maintaining personal hygiene standards.

"Other problems will be preparing and cooking food in insanitary conditions, which could lead to food poisoning including salmonella."

"Diseases such as dysentery and hepatitis A spread very quickly. Obviously there would be concern with young children passing them on at school." Eileen Scott, chairman of Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Community Health Council said: "The possibility of deprived families being cut off is a major public health concern." North West Water has stressed that the prepayment devices would not be imposed on anybody.

A spokesman said they were simply another payment option designed to help hard-up families.

He said: "The smart cards will split up a household's annual bill into instalments. People can buy a card containing a week's supply and slot it into a machine which is fitted in the home.

"It is different from a water meter.

"It does not matter how much water is used. People will be paying for a week's supply, regardless of the volume of water they use.

"We don't think there will be a public health hazard."

He said the company would be immediately alerted every time a card ran out. North West Water would then contact the householder to try and sort out the problem within seven days. The normal legislative procedures would apply if a person was eventually cut off.

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