Thousands of residents in Kent are experiencing water supply disruptions following a heatwave that shattered May temperature records. South East Water has urged customers to use water only for essential purposes, such as drinking, washing, and cooking, as demand surges.
Record Demand Strains System
Matthew Dean, head of operations control at South East Water, reported that on Tuesday the company pumped 660 million litres of water to customers across the region—over 100 million litres more than the daily average. This spike in demand, driven by the prolonged hot weather, has overwhelmed reservoirs and left many households without consistent supply.
Bottled Water Stations Set Up
To alleviate the crisis, South East Water has established bottled water stations at various locations across Kent. Residents can find details on the company’s website. Mr Dean stated: “Around 18,000 customers across Kent are still experiencing water supply issues due to extremely high demand during the very hot weather. We are doing everything we can to get water into our reservoirs, but some customers will continue to have intermittent water supply until reservoir levels have been restored.”
He added: “In preparation for this we have informed customers that while they have a supply they should put aside some water for essential use. We are continuing to ask customers in supply to use water for essential purposes only – for drinking, washing and cooking.”
The heatwave, which saw record-breaking temperatures for May, has also prompted the Met Office to issue a yellow weather warning for thunderstorms and heavy rain, which could provide some relief but also pose risks of flash flooding.
