Water restored to most homes in Kent and Sussex after six days of disruption
Water finally restored for most in Kent and Sussex after days of disruption
- Water supplies have been largely restored to homes across Kent and Sussex after almost a week of disruption, which South East Water (SEW) attributed to Storm Goretti causing burst pipes and power cuts.
- At its peak, the outage affected 30,000 customers, following a similar incident last month where 24,000 people in Tunbridge Wells were without drinking water for two weeks.
- SEW has faced significant criticism from MPs and the public, with an incident manager apologising for the prolonged disruption and difficulty caused to everyday life.
- Ofwat has launched an investigation into whether SEW breached its licence conditions by failing to meet customer service standards and provide adequate support during the supply interruptions.
- Potential penalties for SEW include a fine of up to 10% of its annual turnover or even the revocation of its licence, though around 320 properties in Bidborough still have low water levels and bottled water sites remain open as a precaution.