Kent Residents Face Critical Water Shortages Amid South East Water Failures
Hundreds of homes in Benenden, Cranbrook, and Rolvenden remain without water as storage levels hit critical lows, prompting renewed criticism and a protest.
Image: Eddie Pollard / AI
Carla Rooney
South East Water has warned Kent residents that drinking water storage levels remain critically low following repeated supply outages.
Properties in Herne Bay may experience intermittent supplies later today due to high demand; the storage tank for that area also remains at a critical level.
Prolonged hot weather, high demand, pipe bursts, and power issues reportedly caused these disruptions, according to South East Water.
Defra officials and local MP Katie Lam have criticized South East Water, demanding urgent improvements to the service.
Simply not good enough.
A Defra spokesperson stated the situation is 'simply not good enough' and that South East Water's new leadership must deliver a 'step change in performance' to stop supply outages.
Villagers in Benenden reportedly staged a protest on Monday evening; approximately 60 to 70 residents used plastic bottles to spell out 'Help us' on the local green.
Katie Lam stated that some South East Water workers delivering water have been experiencing verbal abuse and attacks on their vehicles.
An estate agent claimed that bottled water distribution has been poorly planned, noting empty houses with bottled water while residents struggle to receive deliveries.
South East Water was previously fined £30.5 million by Ofwat for widespread supply failures, an order issued in July following investigations into previous interruptions affecting hundreds of thousands of households across Kent and Sussex.
The regulator launched a second probe at the start of this year after more supply interruptions between November and January left up to 70,000 homes without water in Tunbridge Wells and across Kent and Sussex.
In July, 7,000 homes in the Tunbridge Wells area also experienced supply issues due to a failure at a treatment works.
A bottled water station has reopened in Cranbrook to serve affected residents.