Thousands of households across Kent have been grappling with persistent water supply issues, as the troubled regional provider South East Water continues to face scrutiny over a series of outages and infrastructure failures.
The latest incidents saw over 5,500 homes affected on Sunday evening due to a treatment works fault, a power outage, and two burst water mains. This comes on the heels of a major incident earlier this week that left 30,000 properties in Kent and Sussex without water for days.
South East Water has drawn heavy criticism from local MPs and the public, with the company facing accusations of failing to adequately maintain its network and respond effectively to disruptions. The treatment works failure in November, which could have been prevented according to the industry regulator, has further eroded public trust in the utility.
In the latest round of disruptions, 4,500 homes outside Maidstone were left without water or facing low pressure on Saturday, while 800 properties in Linton near Maidstone experienced similar issues on Sunday after a burst main. Hundreds more in Bidborough have been dealing with ongoing supply problems since a power outage five days ago.
To address the situation, South East Water has set up bottled water stations in Maidstone, Ashford and Tunbridge Wells. The company’s incident manager, Matthew Dean, has apologised to affected customers and stated that repair teams are working around the clock to fix leaks and bursts across the region.
The water crisis has prompted calls for action, with Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds urging industry regulator Ofwat to review South East Water’s operating licence. The regulator has launched an investigation into whether the company has complied with its obligations to provide high standards of customer service and support.
South East Water’s chief executive, David Hinton, has faced demands to resign and forgo his bonus, though he remains in line for a substantial long-term payout if he stays in the role until 2030. The ongoing issues have underscored the need for greater investment and oversight in the region’s water infrastructure to ensure reliable and resilient services for local communities.
