Thousands of households across Kent and Sussex are starting a fifth consecutive day without a reliable drinking water supply, as the crisis affecting South East Water's network continues.
Storm Blamed for Ongoing Supply Failure
South East Water (SEW) has confirmed that approximately 17,000 properties remain without water. The utility company has pointed to Storm Goretti as the primary cause, citing the severe weather for triggering a series of burst pipes and causing disruptive power cuts. This latest incident follows a similar disruption in December which left customers in the Tunbridge Wells area without water for nearly a fortnight.
While the company reports it has restored supply to around 8,000 customers across the two counties, the scale of the ongoing problem remains significant. Matthew Dean, SEW's incident manager, issued another apology, stating: "We know and understand how difficult going without water for such a long period of time is and how difficult it makes everyday life."
Political Pressure Mounts as Schools Struggle
The prolonged outage has sparked fierce criticism from local politicians and MPs. Kent County Council noted that while most schools were open on Wednesday 14 January 2026, some faced potential early closure if their water reserves ran out. Council leader Linden Kemkaran declared that "heads must roll" over the company's handling of the repeated failures.
In Westminster, scrutiny is intensifying. Alistair Carmichael, chair of the Parliamentary Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, expressed that he and his colleagues remain "deeply sceptical" about the explanation provided by SEW's chief executive, David Hinton, just last week. The committee now plans to recall both Mr Hinton and SEW's chairman, Chris Train, to give further evidence.
Liberal Democrat MP for Tunbridge Wells, Mike Martin, has been calling for Mr Hinton's resignation for over a month.
Community Impact and Company Response
The majority of properties still affected are in East Grinstead, East Sussex, where some 11,500 homes are waiting for their taps to run again. To support residents, bottled water stations remain operational in key locations including Tunbridge Wells, East Grinstead, and Maidstone.
In response to the political backlash, a spokesperson for South East Water said: "We have fully complied with the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee’s request for information to date and we will continue to provide any further information requested. This will include attending any further meetings that are required." The company has pledged that work to restore supplies to all customers in Kent and Sussex will continue throughout the day.
