Over 8,000 affected by water supply disruption
South East Water says its teams are exhausted as it tries to restore water to areas in Kent.
More than 8,000 South East Water customers have been impacted by water supply issues across various areas of Kent. Residents are informed that it could take up to two days before their water supplies are restored, following four days of disruption. The regions most severely affected are Cranbrook and Benenden. Bottled-water stations are set to reopen shortly in Cranbrook, Canterbury, Challock, and Herne Bay, though Herne Bay residents should have their supplies restored sooner.
The company's staff are reported to be exhausted and pushed to their limits while attempting to restore water across the county. Mike Pickard, incident support manager at the water company, apologized sincerely to all affected customers, admitting that the situation is unacceptable and that the firm is doing everything it can. Jenny Rhodes, incident manager at South East Water, urged customers to use water only for essential purposes, acknowledging that the company has received reports of abuse directed at staff and contractors.
Defra stated that the situation is not good enough, demanding that South East Water take further and faster action to reduce leaks and follow their drought plans to prevent future disruptions. Customers, such as Frazer Stodart and David Ciechanski, have expressed their frustration, with Stodart highlighting the recent rise in bills and Ciechanski noting the increasing frequency of such incidents in east Kent.
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