Thousands of residents in Whitstable, Kent, are without running water after storage reservoirs for the area reached a critical level, South East Water has confirmed. The company stated that 8,000 customers currently have no tap water, with some properties expected to remain without supply until Friday morning, while intermittent issues may persist over the weekend.
The crisis comes during a spell of hot weather, with the water company urging customers to use water only for essential purposes such as drinking, washing, and cooking. Bottled water collection points have been set up, including one at a Sainsbury's near Whitstable, where long queues and traffic congestion were reported on Thursday.
Residents Express Frustration
Whitstable resident Julie Friel, 52, told the Press Association that her water supply was affected from Wednesday evening and completely gone by 8pm. She described the situation as wholly unacceptable, particularly at the start of the first hot week of the year. Friel noted that she and her partner had to use bottled water for basic tasks, and she criticized the lack of clear information from South East Water.
Local businesses have also been hit hard. Mark Stubbs, head chef at Wheelers Oyster Bar, said the restaurant was forced to close, cancel bookings, and send staff home on Thursday. Without running water, hygiene regulations prevent food outlets from operating, and Stubbs warned of significant financial losses, especially as fresh fish stock cannot be sold.
Company Response and Apologies
Steve Benton, incident manager at South East Water, apologized to customers and explained that storage areas for Whitstable were at critical levels due to extremely high demand during the hot weather. He confirmed that 14,000 properties in surrounding areas, including Tankerton, Ashford, and Herne Bay, are experiencing low pressure or intermittent supply.
Benton stated that the company has delivered over 229,000 litres of bottled water to vulnerable customers on its priority services register and is supporting critical care settings such as care homes, GP surgeries, and hospitals. Additional water tankers have been deployed to assist with livestock and medical facilities.
Previous Failures and Scrutiny
The latest outage follows a series of water supply failures in Kent earlier this year, which led to a scathing report from MPs and the resignation of South East Water's chairman Chris Train. Chief executive David Hinton also announced plans to step down earlier this month. Consumer group Dry Wells Action accused the company of failing to learn from the Tunbridge Wells water crisis, calling for its licence to be revoked.
In response to ongoing issues, Kent County Council announced the formation of a new Kent Water Resilience Partnership, chaired by council leader Linden Kemkaran. The partnership will bring together water companies, regulators, and local authorities to improve planning, performance, and public accountability. Kemkaran said residents are fed up with repeated outages and a lack of clear answers, adding that the council has a responsibility to stand up for Kent.
