Thousands of homes and businesses across Kent are facing a second consecutive day of water supply disruption, leading to widespread anger among affected residents. South East Water (SEW) has confirmed that up to 7,000 properties are experiencing low pressure, intermittent supply, or no water at all, primarily due to a temporary instrument failure at its Tunbridge Wells water treatment works.
The utility company, which serves approximately 2.3 million customers in the South East of England, has apologised for the inconvenience. Bottled water stations have been reopened at the Tesco Superstore on Pembury Road and at Tunbridge Wells Rugby Club to assist those without supply. SEW also stated it is continuing to deliver bottled water to customers registered on its priority services list.
Lance Miles, a registered disabled resident of Tunbridge Wells, expressed his frustration to the BBC, describing SEW as "incompetently useless." He highlighted the lack of choice for consumers, stating, "If there was another company, at the drop of a hat I would go with that company." Another local, Paul Sparrow, commented on what he believes has been "years of underinvestment" in the region's water infrastructure.
While a SEW spokesperson indicated that the water treatment works are "now stable," they explained that "low storage levels from this disruption and high demand mean we cannot pump water to some areas, particularly on higher ground." The company is allowing tanks to replenish to ensure a stable and continuous flow.
This latest incident follows a period of intense scrutiny for South East Water. Earlier this week, industry watchdog Ofwat ordered the company to invest £30.5 million into improvements following investigations into its performance. SEW's annual report also recently warned of the need for fresh financing to remain viable, after incurring a £55 million cost from outages over the past winter months. The company is currently in discussions with lenders to secure a new loan facility.
The company has faced significant criticism since November, when 24,000 customers in the Tunbridge Wells area lost water supply or pressure, followed by a nine-day boil water advisory. Weeks later, around 30,000 households in Kent and Sussex experienced days of supply issues, which SEW attributed to freezing temperatures and Storm Goretti. These repeated failures led to the departure of the company's chair and the announcement that its chief executive would also be leaving.