Kent water supply issues resolved after three days

Residents in several Kent villages experienced a disruption to their water supply lasting three days, caused by a burst pipe at the Bewl Water Treatment Works in East Sussex. Areas affected included Brenchley, Matfield, Pembury, Lamberhurst, and nearby communities. The fault on an essential main line led to thousands of properties losing access to running water beginning Thursday morning.

South East Water (SEW), the utility responsible for the area, reported on Friday that water service would be restored to the majority of the approximately 5,850 impacted homes by the end of the day. Nevertheless, it was not until Sunday that the company confirmed it believed all customers affected had their supply reinstated. While the main pipe was repaired on Thursday afternoon, some residents located on higher ground, particularly in Brenchley and Pembury, continued to face difficulties due to isolated airlocks in the system.

To support those still struggling without water, SEW set up bottled water distribution points at Matfield Village Hall and the Tesco Superstore in Pembury on Saturday morning. The company acknowledged the inconvenience caused and stated ongoing efforts were being made to clear remaining air pockets in the network to fully restore service. This incident adds to a series of supply failures by SEW that have affected thousands of homes in recent months.

The water regulator, Ofwat, initiated an investigation into South East Water in January, following repeated interruptions in supply. Earlier this year, SEW’s chief executive, David Hinton, explained to East Sussex councillors that previous widespread outages were due to freeze-thaw weather conditions that caused pipes to burst, compounded by the impacts of Storm Goretti. At the peak of the earlier trouble, around 30,000 properties were without water for several days, sparking calls for Hinton’s resignation

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