36,000 houses are nonetheless with out working water in Kent and Sussex as regulator considers ‘additional motion’

Around 36,000 homes are still without running water after a major incident was declared in Kent and Sussex.

Regulator Ofwat says it will consider ‘further action’ amid an ‘active investigation’ into intermittent supplies and low pressure.

South East Water (SEW) have blamed Storm Goretti and a power cut at its pumping plant for the shortage.

The company added that leak repair teams were also working around the clock to fix the leaks and bursts across the two counties, with extra resources deployed to help carry out repairs.

Incident manager, Matthew Dean, said thousands of customers were still suffering amid the lack of supply.

Mr Dean apologised and blamed the recent cold weather which had caused a spate of leaks and bursts across the area – meaning drinking water and storage tanks were running low.

He said: ‘Water supplies to Loose in Maidstone, Blean near Canterbury, Headcorn, West Kingsdown, and parts of Tunbridge Wells have been restored.’

Drinking water is expected to be restored today to the 16,500 affected properties in East Grinstead – with full supplies anticipated to return tomorrow afternoon.

A worker hands over bottled water at a water station in East Grinstead, after bad weather was blamed for more water outages in Kent and parts of Sussex

Bottled water is loaded into a car at an emergency water distribution point on January 12 in East Grinstead

It comes amid 11 ongoing disruptions interruptions across Kent and Sussex; the affected areas include Maidstone, Canterbury, Tunbridge Wells, Boughton-Under-Blean, Whitstable and East Grinstead.

At least two school closures have also been reported in Kent today.

Ulcombe Church of England Primary School said online learning would be provided for students while Skinners’ Kent Academy in Tunbridge Wells said it had to close to students and postpone exams – but added remote work would be set.

In Sussex, Imberhorne School, Sackville School Estcots Primary School, The Meads Primary School and Ashurst Wood Primary School also remain shut.

Parts of Mainstone are expected to see water return today.

However, South East Water said it would take ‘a considerable amount of time’.

In a post on X, Kent County Council leader Linden Kemkaran said yesterday: ‘A major incident has now been declared on the basis that more households and settings have been impacted in the last 24 hours and because we are putting additional arrangements in place to prepare for further potential disruption.’

Bottled water collections points were set up for impacted households at Tunbridge Wells Rugby Football Club, Headcorn Aerodrome, East Grinstead Sports Club, and Queensway Car Park.

A woman collects bottled water from an emergency water distribution point on January 12 in East Grinstead

Mike Martin, Lib Dem MP for Tunbridge Wells, told the BBC the chair of South East Water ‘needs to convene the board and get a grip of what’s going on’.

He said we are in a ‘bizarre situation’ where water has been privatised and they are not held accountable by anyone.

In a post of Facebook last night, Helen Grant, Conservative MP for Maidstone and Malling, said: ‘I have just finished a meeting with DEFRA Ministers, MPs and South East Water (SEW) and frankly I am absolutely appalled by SEW’s response to this urgent crisis.

‘I pushed the need for bottled water stations to be set up in Loose, Kings Hill and the Mallings. I have been told that a water station is being set up for Loose and the detail will be circulated later this afternoon, and a station for West Malling is being considered by DEFRA at the moment.

‘I am told the root causes are being rectified, but no firm timescales have been provided.

‘SEW indicated that supply may return to Loose overnight, but this remains uncertain. I am also hearing that supplies are already starting to be restored in the West Malling area.

‘DEFRA Minister, Mary Creagh MP, was clear that SEW’s communication has been completely unacceptable and instructed them to issue updates at least every two hours until Midnight tonight.

‘My priority is making sure vulnerable residents have water and ensuring supply is restored as quickly as possible. I will be attending another meeting this evening and will share updates as soon as I receive them.’

A Kent and Medway Resilience Forum (KMRF) spokesman said: ‘Resilience Forum partners are working tirelessly together with the water companies to limit the impact on communities, businesses and residents and will continue to do so until the situation is completely resolved.’