Thousands of homes and businesses in Kent are experiencing water supply problems for a second day, with some facing a complete lack of water, according to South East Water (SEW). The company reported that approximately 7,000 properties in the Tunbridge Wells area could experience low pressure, intermittent supply, or no water due to an instrument failure at a nearby water treatment works.
Supply restoration efforts underway
On Sunday morning, SEW stated it was on target for supplies to return that evening at the earliest and apologized to affected customers. Bottled water stations remained open in the town for a second day. Steve Benton, SEW incident manager, said: “We are genuinely sorry to all customers currently experiencing low pressure, intermittent supply, or a complete lack of water today (Sunday 19 July). This is not the service we aim to provide, and is not the service our customers deserve.” He added that drinking water storage tank levels were improving but needed to replenish further to ensure a stable, continuous flow once supplies return.
Bottled water stations and tanker support
The company announced that bottled water stations would be open until 8pm on Sunday at the Tesco superstore on Pembury Road in Tunbridge Wells and at Tunbridge Wells Rugby Football Club at St Mark’s recreation ground. SEW is also using tankers to increase drinking water storage levels in affected areas and delivering bottled water to customers on its priority services register.
Financial challenges and regulatory penalties
This disruption comes amid financial difficulties for SEW. On Friday, the company, which supplies water to about 2.3 million customers in south-east England, warned of material uncertainty over its survival after a disastrous year. The loss-making company paid millions in fines, and its chief executive was forced out. Its annual report revealed that SEW needed to secure fresh financing after a £55m hit from winter outages. It has enough cash until July 2027 but will need more financing shortly after. Earlier last week, SEW was ordered to pay a £30.5m penalty by industry watchdog Ofwat for previous supply interruptions affecting hundreds of thousands of households across Kent and Sussex.
