Life in parts of Kent and Sussex has been upended this week as tens of thousands of homes remain without running water.
Families, schools, and businesses have all been hit hard, with emergency water collection points becoming a lifeline for residents struggling with the shortage.
Public Outrage Over South East Water’s Leadership
Amid mounting frustration, former Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage has called for South East Water’s chief executive, David Hinton, to resign.
Hinton, who earns £400,000 a year, apologised for the ongoing disruption but refused to step down, claiming he “feels customers’ pain.”
Yet many critics argue that his leadership has failed to prevent repeated crises.
Towns Still Struggling With Dry Taps
Communities such as East Grinstead, Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells, Ashford, and Sevenoaks are still facing water shortages.
Schools and nurseries have closed, businesses have been disrupted, and residents have had to improvise solutions—like collecting rainwater to flush toilets.
One local, Vikki Chalk, described her efforts as “apocalyptic” and expressed concern for families with young children.
Calls for Accountability Intensify
Farage has publicly backed a letter from Kent County Council, which condemns what it calls “systematic and repeated failures” under Hinton’s leadership.
Council leader Linden Kemkaran said, “Kent has suffered one too many water outages, and heads must roll. Solving these problems starts with accountability at the top and a major shift in leadership approach.”
Meanwhile, six MPs from different political parties co-signed a letter to regulator Ofwat, insisting that South East Water must face consequences for its handling of the crisis.
Media Silence Draws Criticism
Hinton has avoided multiple media interviews, even as MPs pressed him on his lack of communication during December’s outage.
The Today programme publicly called him out for ignoring requests to speak, further fueling criticism of his approach.
Residents Take Matters Into Their Own Hands
Faced with continuing shortages, some locals have resorted to collecting rainwater in buckets and bins just to flush toilets.
Others have threatened to stop paying water bills in protest.
South East Water attributes the disruption to Storm Goretti and a power cut at one of its pumps, and says teams are working around the clock to restore supply.
Progress and Ongoing Investigations
The company reports that water supplies in parts of Sussex should return today, but no firm timeline has been provided for areas like Tunbridge Wells.
In a rare move, SEW executives—including Hinton—are being called back to Parliament to answer further questions about the outages.
They previously appeared before the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, apologising and pledging to strengthen the network’s resilience.
The Drinking Water Inspectorate has launched its own investigation. Incident manager Matthew Dean cited cold weather as a major factor, which caused leaks and bursts that drained water storage tanks.
Dean confirmed that priority customers, including hospitals, care homes, and schools, are receiving bottled water and tanker deliveries.
Regulators Monitor the Situation Closely
An Ofwat spokesperson said, “We are concerned that residents in Kent and Sussex are without water again, and we are working closely with the Drinking Water Inspectorate to ensure proper regulation.”
Ofwat already has an ongoing investigation into South East Water’s supply resilience and is reviewing the latest incidents to determine if further enforcement action is necessary.
What Lies Ahead
As Kent and Sussex residents continue to face uncertainty, pressure is mounting for South East Water to take full responsibility.
With investigations underway and executives facing parliamentary scrutiny, the coming weeks will be crucial in determining whether meaningful changes can prevent a repeat of this water crisis.
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