A major incident has been declared across parts of Kent and Sussex after thousands of households were left without running water, with some warned supplies may not be restored until Tuesday.
Scale of the Crisis and Causes
Approximately 30,000 homes are currently affected by the ongoing disruption, according to the latest statement from South East Water (SEW) issued on Sunday afternoon. The company has attributed the widespread issues to a combination of factors.
In the East Grinstead area, problems were reportedly caused by Storm Goretti impacting the rate of raw water treatment, coupled with burst pipes resulting from recent freezing weather. For customers in Eastbourne, 'essential network changes' were blamed, while outages in Hollingbourne were linked to neighbouring water companies being unable to provide normal bulk supplies of treated water.
Response and Public Impact
Leak repair teams are said to be working around the clock across the two counties, with extra resources deployed. Despite this, the situation has escalated, prompting Kent County Council leader, Linden Kemkaran, to declare a major incident.
In a post on X, Kemkaran stated the declaration was made 'on the basis that more households and settings have been impacted in the last 24 hours' and to prepare for further potential disruption. The crisis has led to significant knock-on effects:
- Bottled water collection points have been established at several locations, including Tunbridge Wells Rugby Football Club and East Grinstead Sports Club.
- Reports of gridlocked roads near these distribution centres.
- Several schools in Kent and Sussex have been forced to close.
- The Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead is conducting some appointments virtually.
Political Reaction and Affected Areas
The situation has drawn sharp political criticism. Liberal Democrat MP for Tunbridge Wells, Mike Martin, told the BBC that the chair of South East Water 'needs to convene the board and get a grip of what's going on'. He described a 'bizarre situation' where privatised water companies are not held accountable.
As of the latest update, 10 postcodes are still experiencing issues, primarily around East Grinstead, Frant, and Tunbridge Wells. The impacted postcodes listed by SEW are: TN4 8BG, CT2 9AA, CT2 8JH, TN12 0BW, ME15 9UD, ME17 1XD, RH19 1AW, TN2 3PZ, CT5 2AB, and ME14 4PA. The company has apologised to all customers affected by the severe disruption.
