Thousands of homes in Kent were left without water during the hottest week of the year, sparking fury among residents. From bank holiday Monday, households faced a lack of running water for drinking, flushing toilets, and washing, forcing many to queue at water stations in searing heat.
Vulnerable and elderly people, as well as families, were particularly affected. Those on priority lists did not receive promised deliveries and had to rely on friends and family. Local businesses, including cafes, pubs, oyster bars, and leisure centres in Whitstable, were forced to close, resulting in thousands of pounds in losses.
This is not the first such incident. In January, a similar outage occurred in Tunbridge Wells due to an issue at Pembury treatment works, lasting several weeks. Residents criticised South East Water's response as inadequate, with blame-shifting and promises of further outages as summer continues.
Customers in Kent pay some of the highest water bills in the country but receive poor service. South East Water is turning millions in profit while failing to repair crumbling infrastructure, with funds diverted to executive pay. Residents are calling on the government to hold the company accountable.
