In a troubling turn of events, residents across Kent and Sussex have endured a prolonged water crisis, with South East Water (SEW) struggling to restore supplies after a series of disruptions. The latest incident, sparked by Storm Goretti, left up to 30,000 customers without water or experiencing low pressure, drawing fierce criticism from both the public and local MPs.
This is not the first time SEW has faced such a challenge, with a similar outage last month leaving 24,000 people in Tunbridge Wells without drinking water for two weeks. The beleaguered water firm has now found itself in the crosshairs of the industry regulator, Ofwat, which has launched an investigation into whether the company has breached its licence conditions by failing to comply with customer service standards and provide adequate support to affected customers.
The consequences for SEW could be severe, as Ofwat has the power to revoke the company’s licence, potentially leading to the supplier falling into special administration until a new buyer is found. Alternatively, the regulator may opt to impose hefty fines of up to 10% of the firm’s annual turnover if it deems SEW to have breached its obligations.
The water crisis has taken a significant toll on local residents, with some still facing low water pressure and the prospect of hosepipe bans. The latest report from the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology predicts that normal to below-normal river flows and groundwater levels will persist in south-east England over the next three months, raising concerns about the potential for drought conditions later in the year.
In response to the outage, SEW’s incident manager, Mathew Dean, has acknowledged the difficulties faced by customers, stating, “We know and understand how difficult going without water for such a long period of time is and how difficult it makes everyday life.” The company has assured that water supplies have been restored to the 6,500 affected properties in the Tunbridge Wells area, though some customers may still experience low pressure as the water levels in the pipeline network rebuild.
As the investigation by Ofwat continues, the future of SEW hangs in the balance, with the regulator’s decision set to have far-reaching consequences for the water industry and the residents of Kent and Sussex who have endured this prolonged crisis.