A serious error at a water treatment works has left thousands of households in a Kent town without running water for four days, prompting outrage and emergency measures.
Chemical Error Triggers Widespread Disruption
South East Water has confirmed that a "bad batch" of coagulant chemicals was accidentally introduced at its Pembury treatment site, serving Tunbridge Wells. The mistake forced the immediate shutdown of the facility on Saturday night to allow for a complete flush and clean of the contaminated pipe network. While the company reports the site is now operational again, the aftermath has been severe for residents.
Currently, an estimated 18,000 properties remain without a reliable mains water supply. The disruption has forced multiple schools across the area to close for two consecutive days, crippled local businesses, and left care homes and GP surgeries struggling to function.
Residents Forced to Rely on Rainwater and Evian
The prolonged outage has led to desperate measures for many. Residents have been collecting rainwater in buckets to use for flushing toilets, while some have resorted to giving their pets bottled Evian to drink due to the safety concerns over the tap supply.
Local man Martin Bryant described the surreal situation, stating he collected water during heavy rainfall to maintain basic sanitation. "What a time to be alive," he remarked. Another resident, Roger, echoed the frustration: "Heavy rain. No water in taps. Dog and rabbit drinking Evian. Welcome to living in Tunbridge Wells in 2025."
South East Water has established bottled water stations at locations like the Upper Pantiles car park, but the response has been criticised as inadequate. Elderly and vulnerable residents have reported significant difficulties in reaching these distribution points, with many relying on the goodwill of neighbours as the company has failed to implement a comprehensive home delivery service.
Calls for Leadership Resignation and Government Criticism
The crisis has sparked fierce political condemnation. Mike Martin, the Liberal Democrat MP for the area, has publicly called for the resignation of South East Water's CEO, David Hinton. Martin lambasted the company's "chaotic emergency response and woeful communication," labelling the situation an "utter disgrace" and a "total failure of leadership."
The government has also weighed in, with a Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) spokesperson declaring the disruption "unacceptable." The department stated it is in regular contact with the water company, urging it to take all necessary steps to resolve the incident and support affected residents.
Matthew Dean, South East Water's incident manager, advised that as supplies are restored, customers might experience temporary discolouration. He attributed this to naturally-occurring deposits being disturbed in the network, assuring the public it is a normal part of the recovery process.
The incident underscores growing concerns over the resilience of the UK's water infrastructure and the operational competence of privatised utility companies, leaving the community of Tunbridge Wells counting the cost of a four-day drought in a typically rainy British spring.
