TOURISTS are set to return tomorrow to one of Wiltshire’s major attractions which has been closed because of a contaminated well.

The Kennet and Avon Canal’s Crofton Pumping Station, which attracts tens of thousands of tourists a year, was forced to close three weeks ago when its drinking water supply was found to be contaminated with canal water.

The nearest mains water is more than two miles away and when the pumping station was restored 40 years ago and opened to the public, a borehole had to be sunk in the ground to provide water for drinking and hand-washing, as well as for the centre’s cafe.

Kennet and Avon Trust chairman Dr Mike Rodd said the borehole had become increasingly contaminated to the point that three weeks ago its filtration system could no longer cope.

The 200-year-old pumping station had to be closed for health and safety reasons until arrangements could be made for a new storage tank to hold freshly delivered supplies of water.

It re-opens tomorrow but initially the Engineman’s Rest café may be restricted to selling ice creams, bottled and canned drinks, sweets and other pre-packaged food.

Dr Rodd said: “It is hoped that by the following weekend, the cafe will be able to return to providing its famous range of delicious, freshly-prepared food.”

He added that the borehole was not as deep as had been thought.

Tests showed it went down only about as far as the level of the adjacent canal, allowing contaminated water to seep in.

Although a water filtration and purification system was initially able to cope with the contamination, as it got worse it kept clogging the filters.

Installing the temporary water storage tank has cost more than £2,000 and the weekly top-up of fresh water will cost about £300 a time, said Dr Rodd.

The long-term solution, he said, was to make the borehole much deeper – probably by as much as an extra 50 or 60 metres – to access reach water from underground springs.

However, he pointed out, that would cost an additional £12,000 which the K&A Trust will have to find.

Dr Rodd said: “It’s costing serious money and, of course, we have been losing money by having the pumping station closed so it will be a great relief to have it open again.”

Its famous pair of steam engines will be in operation over the August bank holiday weekend, Saturday-Monday, 27-29.