UK heatwave leaves hundreds of homes without water in Kent and Sussex

Hundreds of homes across Kent and Sussex were left without water over the bank holiday weekend following supply outages linked to a technical failure and increased demand during the hot weather.

South East Water said properties in parts of Kent and East Sussex experienced low pressure or complete water loss after the company struggled to maintain supplies during the recent heatwave.

The worst-hit areas included Charing, Challock, and Molash in Kent, where around 800 properties were affected at the peak of the disruption on Sunday. About 250 homes were still experiencing problems on Monday.

According to The Guardian, a further 168 properties in Eastbourne, East Sussex, were also impacted by outages on Sunday afternoon.

South East Water said the company had been forced to pump significantly more drinking water due to increased demand during the warm weather.

The supplier said pressure across the network dropped as more households used water at the same time, particularly in areas located on higher ground.

In a statement posted on social media, the company urged customers to stagger heavy water use, including hoses and garden watering, to help maintain pressure across the system.

South East Water incident manager Steve Benton said a “technical failure” at a pumping station near Charing had contributed to the disruption.

“We are sorry to our customers in parts of Kent who have experienced low pressure or no water intermittently this weekend,” Benton said.

He added that bottled water stations had been opened at Challock village hall, while deliveries were being made to vulnerable residents unable to travel.

Separate supply issues also affected dozens of homes in Whitstable overnight after problems with booster pumps.

The latest disruption comes weeks after MPs criticised South East Water over repeated outages affecting thousands of customers in recent years.

The company is also facing a proposed £22 million fine from regulator Ofwat over serious failings linked to water supply interruptions.

South East Water chief executive David Hinton recently announced plans to step down following the criticism, while the company’s chair also resigned earlier this month.