Residents across Kent and Sussex have reacted with fury after the chairman of crisis-hit South East Water told MPs that higher customer bills are required to prevent future supply failures. The statement comes after 30,000 properties were left without water, forcing schools and businesses to close and prompting the establishment of emergency bottled water collection points.
Company blames storms and appeals for more cash
In a letter to the Environment Select Committee, South East Water's chairman, Chris Train, argued that the water regulator, Ofwat, had not fully funded key resilience schemes. This, he claimed, left the board with "no option" but to appeal Ofwat's decision to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) in March 2025.
The company, which serves parts of Kent and Sussex, blamed the latest widespread outage on burst pipes and power cuts caused by Storm Goretti. This disruption followed similar problems before Christmas, which affected over 20,000 properties.
Mr Train stated that the provisional CMA decision would allow for a further four per cent increase on bills, on top of a 24 per cent rise already granted. He cited the harsh impacts of climate change and increased demand as reasons for needing "very significant additional infrastructure."
Public and political backlash intensifies
The suggestion of further price hikes has been met with anger from affected communities. Paddy McGinley, a resident of Ulcombe near Maidstone, described how villagers were forced to buy and deliver bottled water to vulnerable neighbours during the crisis.
"We're doing their job for them," he told The Independent. "How can they expect us to pay more? They are a water company, it's their job to supply water, they need to sort this out themselves." Mr McGinley is now urging his community to remove any unused credit from their water accounts in protest.
Politicians have also expressed severe criticism. Alastair Carmichael, chairman of the Environment Select Committee, said Mr Train's letter showed he "fails to show a proper grasp on the seriousness of the situation." He pledged a further evidence session to get to the bottom of the company's problems.
Calls for leadership change and regulatory scrutiny
Pressure is mounting on South East Water's leadership. During an urgent question in the Commons on Monday, several MPs called for the government to remove the company's chief executive, David Hinton, from his post. Shadow minister Helen Whately stated that Mr Hinton had "shown us he is not up to the job."
Meanwhile, Ofwat's investigation into the company's performance is ongoing. South East Water has repeatedly apologised for the shortages, stating on its website: "We know how tough it is to be without water and this is not the level of service we want to provide." The firm said it was using every resource to restore supplies, including fixing leaks and rerouting water.
As the CMA's final decision on the proposed bill increases is expected in the coming weeks, customers in areas like Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge continue to face an uncertain future regarding both their water supply and their household finances.
