Residents across Kent and Sussex are still facing major water disruptions, with thousands of homes either completely without water, experiencing intermittent supply, or struggling with low pressure.
The ongoing situation, which began last week, has now been officially declared a major incident by local authorities as the scale of the impact grows.
Thousands of Homes Still Affected
According to South East Water (SEW), around 30,000 homes are currently affected, particularly in areas like East Grinstead, Frant, Tunbridge Wells, Eastbourne, and Hollingbourne.
Some households have been warned that their water supply may not return until Tuesday.
SEW attributed the problems in East Grinstead to Storm Goretti, which disrupted the company’s ability to treat raw water efficiently, combined with burst pipes caused by freezing weather.
In Eastbourne, issues arose from “essential network changes,” while Hollingbourne experienced outages due to neighboring water companies being unable to supply treated water as usual.
Repair Teams Working Around the Clock
SEW has reassured residents that leak repair teams are working around the clock, with additional resources deployed to fix bursts and leaks across the two counties.
The company has issued an apology to affected customers, some of whom have reported long traffic jams on roads leading to bottled water collection points.
Bottled Water Stations Set Up
To support impacted households, bottled water collection points have been established at Tunbridge Wells Rugby Football Club, Headcorn Aerodrome, East Grinstead Sports Club, and Queensway Car Park.
Images from the scene show long queues of cars as residents wait for hours to access bottled water.
The affected postcodes include TN4 8BG, CT2 9AA, CT2 8JH, TN12 0BW, ME15 9UD, ME17 1XD, RH19 1AW, TN2 3PZ, CT5 2AB, and ME14 4PA.
Schools and Hospitals Disrupted
The water crisis has forced several schools in Kent and Sussex to close temporarily, while The Queen Victoria Hospital is moving some appointments to virtual consultations to cope with the disruption.
Political Voices Criticize South East Water
Local MPs have voiced frustration over SEW’s handling of the crisis.
Mike Martin, Lib Dem MP for Tunbridge Wells, told the BBC that SEW’s board needs to take immediate action, describing the situation as “bizarre” given the lack of accountability in the privatized water sector.
Helen Grant, Conservative MP for Maidstone and Malling, posted on Facebook that she was “absolutely appalled” by SEW’s response.
She emphasized the urgency of setting up additional bottled water stations in Loose, Kings Hill, and the Mallings.
While stations for Loose and potentially West Malling are being arranged, no firm timelines for full restoration have been provided.
Government Steps In
DEFRA Minister Mary Creagh MP criticized SEW’s communication as “completely unacceptable” and instructed the company to issue updates at least every two hours until midnight.
Local authorities and MPs are prioritizing ensuring that vulnerable residents have access to water and that normal supply is restored as quickly as possible.
Residents are now left waiting and hoping for a return to normalcy, as the combined effects of storm damage, burst pipes, and network issues continue to challenge water restoration efforts across the counties.
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