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Across Kent, thousands of households and businesses continue to face challenges with their water supply for a second consecutive day. South East Water (SEW) reported on Sunday that nearly 7,000 properties were affected by low water pressure, lack of water, or inconsistent service. This disruption was linked to a temporary equipment failure at the Tunbridge Wells water treatment facility. The company, which has encountered substantial criticism due to repeated supply breakdowns in recent months, issued an apology to those impacted and confirmed that two bottled water distribution points remained open in Tunbridge Wells.
Local residents expressed frustration with SEW’s handling of the situation. Lance Miles, a disabled individual living in Tunbridge Wells, called the company “incompetently useless,” highlighting the absence of alternative options for water supply. He said, “Yet again we are without water,” emphasizing the limited choice available to consumers in the area. “We’re not customers, because customers have a choice. We don’t have a choice,” Lance added, also mentioning that he would switch providers immediately if one were available.
Steven Benton, the incident manager for SEW, explained that the water treatment plant’s operations have since stabilized. However, he noted that depleted storage tanks combined with high demand made it difficult to deliver water uniformly across the region, especially in elevated parts of the town. Benton elaborated, “To ensure a stable, continuous flow, we must allow tanks to replenish.” The company continues to supply bottled water to customers registered on its priority services list, a program designed to support those requiring additional assistance. The two water stations open on Sunday were located at the Tesco Superstore on Pembury Road and Tunbridge Wells Rugby Club, operating until 8 pm BST, though the rugby club site temporarily closed for restocking during the day.
This incident marks the third significant water supply disruption in Tunbridge Wells within recent months. Earlier in the week, SEW was instructed to invest £30.5 million into upgrading its infrastructure by the industry watchdog Ofwat. The company also revealed in its annual report that financial strains from winter outages, which led to a £55 million loss, have forced it to seek new financing arrangements. Serving approximately 2.3 million customers in Southeast England, SEW is in talks with lenders to secure an additional loan facility. The utility provider has been under heavy scrutiny following a major outage in November affecting 24,000 customers in Tunbridge Wells, after which residents were advised to boil their water for safety. A subsequent disruption impacted around 30,000 homes in Kent and Sussex days later, with the company attributing problems to freezing weather and Storm Goretti. Leadership changes at SEW have followed these difficulties, with the chair and chief executive both departing. Long-term residents like Paul Sparrow have voiced concern over ongoing underinvestment in the area’s water infrastructure, saying, “It’s hard to know what to say. We’ve had years of underinvestment.
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