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Hundreds of homes in Kent and Sussex left without water after supply outages
TL;DR
Hundreds of homes in Kent and Sussex are without water due to supply outages caused by increased demand from hot weather. The outages peaked over the weekend, affecting around 800 properties in Kent and 168 in East Sussex.
Key points
- Hundreds of homes in Kent and Sussex without water
- Outages caused by increased demand from hot weather
- 800 properties in Kent affected, including Charing, Challock, and Molash
- 168 homes in Eastbourne also impacted
- South East Water struggling to meet demand
Mentioned in this story
South East WaterKentSussexEastbourneCharingChallockMolash
Hundreds of homes in Kent and Sussex have been left without water by a company that MPs recently accused of incompetence.
South East Water said the hot weather and extra demand for water meant it was having to pump more drinking water than usual to higher ground.
The outages began on Saturday and peaked on Sunday when about 800 properties in the Kent villages of Charing, Challock and Molash were unable to get water.
About 168 homes were also thought to be affected by outages in Eastbourne, East Sussex, on Sunday afternoon. At least 250 homes remained without water on Monday.
South East Water said extra demand for water was causing shortages for customers: “As a result of the recent hot weather, we’re seeing increased demand across our network and we’re having to pump far more drinking water than usual.”
On social media the company appealed to customers to space out their water use: “Sun’s out. We know the drill: nobody wants a water company telling them to save water when there’s leaks. Fair point.
“Our reservoirs are healthy. There is no shortage of water. But if we all use hoses at Saturday lunchtime, the water pressure drops and homes at the top of the hill can run dry. Spacing out heavy water tasks over the week means everyone on your street keeps their water pressure.”
The British public has one of the highest per-capita daily water usage rates in Europe, averaging roughly 142 to 150 litres a person a day. The government aims to cut water use in England by 20% a person a day by 2038, and to reduce average consumption to 110 litres a person a day by 2050.
A recent report warned that an urgent campaign aimed at the whole of society to encourage people to use less water was needed, alongside rainwater reuse and grey-water recycling, to avoid water shortages of 5bn litres a day by 2055 in England.
South East Water’s senior executives were accused of incompetence by a committee of MPs this month over repeated water outages for tens of thousands of customers.
Q&A
What caused the water outages in Kent and Sussex?
The water outages were caused by increased demand for water due to hot weather, leading South East Water to pump more drinking water than usual.
How many homes are affected by the water supply issues in Kent?
About 800 properties in Kent, particularly in the villages of Charing, Challock, and Molash, were affected by the water supply issues.
What areas in East Sussex experienced water outages?
In East Sussex, approximately 168 homes in Eastbourne were reported to be without water during the outages.
