Drinking water in homes in the Pembroke Dump area has been unaffected by thick smoke from the fire which raged for about a week in March, tests have revealed.

Government yesterday announced all levels of pesticides and other harmful materials were undetectable in samples taken from tanks in houses and businesses near the site.

Probes have shown carbon monoxide levels in the air were above the accepted standard at the time of the blaze — but Acting Health Minister Dale Butler stressed this would have returned to normal by now.

The Ministry of Health carried out tests shortly after the incident amid fears remains from the huge mound of horticultural waste which caught fire could have poisoned the air and drinking water.

Announcing the preliminary results yesterday, Mr. Butler, standing in for Acting Health Minister Philip Perinchief who is off the Island, said: "It's very good news. We still have some follow-up testing to do before I can release the full report, but we thought we would let people know the preliminary findings.

"The carbon monoxide level was high when the tests were carried out, but that was while the fire was going on. The air at the moment would be very clear."

Mr. Butler warned tests also showed some tanks contained poor quality water due to inadequate cleaning and maintenance.

"All water collected from tanks in Bermuda should be boiled before drinking and tanks should undergo regular maintenance and cleaning to ensure good quality water," said the Minister.

He said if tanks have not been cleaned in the past three to five years, people should add two ounces of chlorine for every 1,000 gallons of water.

About 30 fire-fighters were called to tackle an inferno the size of a football pitch at about 9 a.m. on Wednesday, February 28. Flames were 90 feet high, while smoke was sent billowing across the Island. It was not until one week later that the fire service was finally able to withdraw from the scene.

People living nearby said the smoke caused a health risk by getting into their homes, while some local restaurants complained they had to temporarily close because it would have been unhygienic to serve food.

They criticised Government for allowing waste at the site to pile to a height they claimed was similar to the size of an eight-storey building.

Government said the mound had been allowed to grow because the machines used to break it down had been out of action. Works and Engineering Minister Dennis Lister pledged never to allow the pile get so high again.

Residents have also called for the unsightly landfill area to be transformed into a public park — an idea first suggested in the 1980s.

Testing was carried out by Bermuda Water Consultants and involved 32 residences and businesses within a one-mile radius of the fire.

They examined general physical water quality and inspected for pesticides, herbicides, heavy metals and bacteria which would have been in the horticultural waste, and tested the air for carbon monoxide levels.

A press conference is to be held when the final report is completed.