Residents in Kent continue to experience water supply disruptions for a second consecutive day, with many expressing frustration and anger towards the water company. South East Water (SEW) has cited low storage levels at its water treatment works and high demand as the reasons for the ongoing issues.
SEW incident manager Steven Benton stated that the water treatment works are now stable, but the low storage levels mean that water cannot be pumped to all areas, particularly those at higher elevations. He explained that tanks need to replenish to ensure a stable and continuous flow to customers. "To ensure a stable, continuous flow, we must allow tanks to replenish," Benton said.
The company has been delivering bottled water to customers on its priority services register, a free support scheme for those requiring extra assistance. Bottled water distribution stations reopened on Sunday at Tesco Superstore on Pembury Road and Tunbridge Wells Rugby Club. These stations were scheduled to remain open until 8:00 PM BST.
However, reports emerged on Sunday morning that the bottled water station at the rugby club had run out of supplies. Mike Martin, the Member of Parliament for Tunbridge Wells, posted on X, formerly Twitter, about the shortage. Residents have described South East Water as "incompetently useless" amid the ongoing supply problems. Additional images show piles of bottled water being distributed in car parks, with customers collecting supplies from SEW staff.
