South East Water Crisis: Taps Run Dry for Fifth Day

Thousands of households across Kent and Sussex remain without a reliable water supply as the South East Water crisis enters its fifth day. Around 17,000 properties are still affected, with residents reporting little or no running water since the outage began over the weekend. The disruption has been linked to a combination of freezing temperatures, […]

Thousands of households across Kent and Sussex remain without a reliable water supply as the South East Water crisis enters its fifth day.

Around 17,000 properties are still affected, with residents reporting little or no running water since the outage began over the weekend. The disruption has been linked to a combination of freezing temperatures, burst pipes and power issues affecting key treatment works and the wider water network.

South East Water said it has restored supplies to approximately 8,000 customers, but large areas, including parts of East Grinstead, continue to experience problems. Engineers are working around the clock to gradually refill the system, a process the company says must be carried out carefully to prevent further pipe bursts.

Bottled water distribution points have been set up across the region, with priority given to vulnerable residents. However, long queues have been reported at some locations, and many households are still relying entirely on bottled water for drinking, cooking and basic hygiene.

Local councils have warned that ongoing shortages could impact schools and public services if the situation continues, though most schools remain open at present.

South East Water has apologised to customers for the prolonged disruption, acknowledging the frustration caused by the lack of clear timescales for full restoration. The company said the scale of the network damage has made repairs more complex than initially expected.

The latest outage comes just weeks after a previous major incident that left tens of thousands without water, prompting renewed scrutiny of the company’s infrastructure and emergency response planning.