Residents of Hastings are bracing for a potentially dry Christmas after a major water main burst, threatening to cut off supplies to thousands of homes. Southern Water has issued an urgent warning that households could start losing water from the evening of Christmas Eve as the system rapidly loses pressure.
Race Against Time to Fix Critical Failure
The critical burst pipe was discovered in a woodland area north of Hastings on Tuesday morning. Since then, engineers from Southern Water have been in a frantic race against the clock to complete repairs before the festive period. The company stated that, as a worst-case scenario, customers could begin to see their supply fail from Wednesday 24 December if the fix is not completed in time.
In response to the looming crisis, the utility firm has begun dispatching emergency bottled water deliveries, prioritising vulnerable households on its priority services register. Customers across the affected area have been urged not to use more water than usual and, crucially, not to stockpile tap water, as this could exacerbate the pressure loss and worsen the situation for everyone.
A History of Infrastructure Failures
This incident is not an isolated one for the town. Hastings suffered a severe four-day water outage in May 2024 after a pipe, which had been flagged for replacement as far back as 2007, finally burst. Southern Water has previously listed multiple pipes in the Hastings area as "aged assets prone to failure."
The latest failure has drawn sharp criticism from local MP Helena Dollimore. "I'm deeply frustrated that Hastings is once again paying the price for Southern Water's failures," said the Labour MP for Hastings, Rye and the Villages. She has pressed the company to act swiftly, demanding more water stations, direct deliveries to the vulnerable, and support for local businesses like pubs and hotels.
Company Under Fire for Priorities
Dollimore has previously accused Southern Water of prioritising large dividend payments to shareholders over essential investment in its crumbling infrastructure. The company also recently faced severe backlash after a treatment centre failure led to a spill of hundreds of millions of plastic beads onto Camber Sands and Hastings beaches.
Tim McMahon, Southern Water's Managing Director for Water, addressed the current emergency: "We are taking these measures as a precaution against a worst-case scenario and impact on supply tomorrow evening. Our teams will fix the burst main as quickly as possible." He echoed the plea for customers to avoid unnecessary water use and stockpiling, thanking them for their patience during the repair operation.
