Week-long water supply issues resolved, says firm

All households affected by a disruption to their water supply for more than a week should have their taps running consistently again, their supplier has said.

Thousands of South East Water (SEW) customers in Kent had been experiencing spells without running water or an inconsistent supply since 23 May.

About 22,000 properties were affected at the peak of the issues, which the firm said were caused by "exceptionally high demand, following the period of hot weather".

However, it said levels of drinking water in its storage tanks across the county were still low and has asked customers to continue only using water for essential purposes.

In the firm's update at about 18:30 BST, incident manager Phil Jones said: "Drinking water supplies have returned for all customers impacted by the water supply interruptions in Kent caused by exceptionally high demand, following the period of hot weather."

He said a burst pipe on Millstrood Road in Whitstable had been repaired, but about 60 customers were without supply in the Radfall area of the town, due to a "technical issue with boosters".

On Tuesday evening, SEW also said about 126 properties in Staplefield and surrounding villages, in West Sussex, were without water following a burst main on Monday, after initial repairs failed.

Technicians were on site working to repair the pipe a second time, it added.

Following the interruptions in Kent, Jones said the network was continuing to recover, but levels of drinking water in tanks across the county were still low.

He added: "Although the weather has cooled, we are continuing to ask customers in supply to use water for essential purposes only - for example drinking, cooking and hygiene."

Jones said the company apologised "unreservedly" to all its customers for the recent disruption.

He said the company had carried out more than 26,000 deliveries of water to customers on its priority services register, and had delivered more than 365,000 litres of water to critical care settings, such as care homes, GP surgeries, pharmacies, dentists and schools.

Staff had supported the network with tankers, he added.

A bottled water station at Sainsbury's Reeves Way, Chestfield, Whitstable, will close at 21:00 BST and reopen at 09:00 on Wednesday.

The disruption followed an incident in November where some 24,000 customers lost water supply or pressure in the Tunbridge Wells area.

Weeks later, about 30,000 households in Kent and Sussex faced days of supply issues, which bosses blamed on freezing temperatures and Storm Goretti.

South East Water announced in May its chair had departed and its chief executive would leave following the failures.

Ofwat has proposed fining SEW £22m for separate incidents between 2020 and 2023.

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