Water firm pays out over issues linked to sinkhole

A water company has paid "goodwill compensation" to some customers who faced supply problems during sinkhole repair works.

Residents of Bletchingley, Surrey, reported low pressure and periods of "murky" water during works on neighbouring Godstone's massive sinkhole.

Godstone's High Street reopened on 31 July following nearly 18 months of SES Water and Surrey County Council repair works.

An SES Water spokesperson said: "With our project now complete, Bletchingley is once again supplied via its usual route."

Bletchingley residents told the Local Democracy Reporting Service of problems with their water supply over a year and a half including bouts of village-wide low pressure.

Paul Sherlock said the past 18 months had been "extremely frustrating" as the village was never able to be "fully confident of our water supply".

Fellow resident Robert Setters said he had faced multiple incidents of intermittent supply over the past year.

"It's worse in the summer months as more people are using water," he said.

"After a low pressure event it's often followed by hours of murky and brown water."

Setters added: "I have a daughter who has an immune deficiency and keeping her clean and in a safe environment has been hard.

"We can't always bathe her when we get home from work and sometimes can't even flush the toilets."

East Surrey MP Claire Coutinho had called on the company to offer goodwill payments to Bletchingley residents following the disruption.

"Bletchingley residents have been let down by SES Water," she said.

"The company was too slow to act, unresponsive to complaints, and hid behind a 'computer says no' attitude."

SES Water said some customers experienced disruption while a "temporary supply arrangement was in place" for the village due to the Godstone sinkhole.

"Our teams worked hard to maintain pressure and customers entitled to compensation have received payments, as well as goodwill compensation in some cases," a spokesperson said.

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