Thousands in Kent and East Sussex Still Without Water

Published: 02 December 2025 Tuesday. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online

Thousands of households in Kent and East Sussex remain without water for a fourth day following a problem at Pembury Water Treatment Works. South East Water (SEW) apologised after up to 24,000 customers in Tunbridge Wells, Pembury, Frant, and Eridge experienced either a complete loss of water or low pressure since Saturday.

The disruption has forced some schools to close for a second consecutive day, while residents have been relying on neighbours to help bring them water supplies. Daphne Pilcher, an 85-year-old Tunbridge Wells resident, told BBC Radio Kent: “It’s grim because I have arthritis and I can’t carry water bottles in my hands. I have been very much relying on neighbours to bring me water as I can’t get it myself.”

By 08:00 GMT, SEW reported “good progress” in restoring water, but 14,000 customers were still affected. The company later estimated that full service would resume by 18:00. Incident manager Marc Sims said: “I’m very sorry to all our customers in Tunbridge Wells who have yet to see water return to their taps. We are continuing to deliver bottled water to more than 2,000 of our most vulnerable customers.”

The disruption began after the treatment works stopped functioning due to a “bad chemical batch.” Tunbridge Wells MP Mike Martin has called for SEW chief David Hinton’s resignation, describing the situation as “a total failure of leadership.” In response, Matthew Dean of SEW stated: “Our focus is entirely on returning supplies to our customers as soon as possible. Once we have returned supplies to all customers, a thorough investigation will take place into what happened.”

Bottled water stations have reopened at Tunbridge Wells Sports Centre, St John’s Road, Odeon Cinema, Knights Way, and RCP Parking. SEW continues to prioritise vulnerable households as it works to restore full water service.