Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.
Following nearly a week of water supply disruptions across Kent and Sussex, South East Water (SEW) has reported that the majority of affected homes now have their water restored. At the peak of the issue, around 30,000 properties were left without water. The disruptions are believed to have begun on Saturday, prompting the regulator Ofwat to launch an investigation into SEW’s handling of the incident.
In the Tunbridge Wells area, 6,500 homes regained access to water by Thursday evening, although some residents reported ongoing supply problems. Matthew Dean, SEW’s incident manager, explained that water tankers continue to supply approximately 320 properties in the Bidenborough locality, where water pressure remains low. Dean added that while supplies to most parts of Tunbridge Wells have returned, some customers could still experience reduced pressure as water storage tanks refill. Additional restoration efforts saw water returning to 16,500 properties in East Grinstead, West Sussex, and roughly 2,000 homes in the Loose and Coxheath neighborhoods. However, storage levels in these areas remain critically low.
Despite widespread restoration, SEW has reopened bottled water distribution points at several locations including East Grinstead Sports Club, Mote Park Leisure Centre in Maidstone, Tunbridge Wells Rugby Football Club, Odeon Cinema in Knights Way, and the RCP car park off Major York’s Road. Bottled water was also made available at the company’s walk-in center in Bidborough village hall. Those on SEW’s priority services register—covering residents with young children, disabilities, or medical conditions—have had bottled water delivered directly to them.
Several residents expressed frustration with the ongoing water shortages. Stephen Bales of Tunbridge Wells voiced disappointment at still lacking water on Friday despite company assurances, stating, “The tap is bone dry.” Others, like Mary-Ann Stocks, described the experience as distressing, noting the difficulty of going without proper washing facilities for such an extended period. Alan Jones, chair of a local residents committee, described his water supply as merely “dripping out” at times and disappearing quickly once multiple users draw from the limited supply. SEW acknowledged that some customers might be facing airlocks in the system and urged affected individuals to contact them for urgent technical assistance. They also warned that returning water could be discolored but harmless, advising residents to run taps until clear.
Pantelis Mikellides from Hawkenbury near Tunbridge Wells reported that his water had only returned past midnight but expressed doubts about its stability, recalling repeated outages: “It’s happened twice already, we have full pressure and then it just goes, with the communication coming afterwards.” He explained the need for constant preparedness, sharing how his baby son has relied on substantial amounts of bottled mineral water and boiled water for bathing during the outage.
The disruptions have drawn high-level attention, with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer describing the situation as “totally unacceptable” during Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday. In response, the government requested Ofwat to review South East Water’s license. SEW has committed to cooperating fully with regulators and providing all necessary information. Ofwat stated that if a breach of license conditions is confirmed, it could take enforcement action, including fines of up to 10% of SEW’s turnover. It is notable that SEW is already under two separate investigations by Ofwat and the Drinking Water Inspectorate concerning previous water supply interruptions
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.