The leader of Kent County Council has called for “heads to roll” at South East Water as thousands remain without supplies. Linden Kemkaran, joined by Reform UK chairman Nigel Farage, demanded the resignation of chief executive David Hinton.
In a letter to chairman Chris Train, Kemkaran said the company must show “accountability at the highest level” after repeated failures. She criticised the “pattern of mismanagement and lack of resilience” that has caused hardship for residents and economic damage to businesses.
The Drinking Water Inspectorate has launched an investigation into the disruption, examining the circumstances leading to the loss of supply, the company’s actions, and its communications with consumers. It will take enforcement action if necessary.
Meanwhile, senior South East Water leaders will be recalled to give evidence in Parliament over December’s crisis in Tunbridge Wells, which left 24,000 homes without water. The company is conducting its own internal inquiry, but MPs have expressed scepticism about its independence.
In a letter to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, Train blamed Ofwat’s refusal to fully fund resilience schemes and said climate change in the south east had “outstripped reasonable predictions”. Committee chairman Alistair Carmichael accused the company of trying to “mark its own homework”.
