South East Water has issued a boil water notice for 24,000 homes in and around Tunbridge Wells, Kent, after water quality issues recurred. The company said water will be restored from midday on Wednesday, but it must be boiled before drinking.
The problems began on Saturday evening due to a 'bad' batch of chemicals at the Pembury water treatment works. While water can now be used for flushing toilets and showering, it is not safe for consumption without boiling.
Dr Neil Hudson, head of water quality at South East Water, said: 'We have seen a recurrence of the water quality issues that caused the initial shutdown. We are currently unable to produce drinking water from the Pembury treatment works that meets the strict regulatory standards required for consumption.'
Liberal Democrat MP Mike Martin called the situation 'a total failure of leadership' and demanded the resignation of chief executive Dave Hinton. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described the crisis as 'shocking' and said the government is 'bearing down' on the issue.
The Consumer Council for Water has called for a thorough investigation. Chief executive Mike Keil said: 'Customers have seen their water bills rise significantly this year and in return they expect to see the service improve – not get worse.'
Three bottled water stations remain open in Tunbridge Wells until 10pm. A map and list of affected postcodes are available on the South East Water website.
