Residents across Kent and Sussex are taking drastic financial action against South East Water (SEW) as a crippling water outage enters its sixth consecutive day. Thousands of households have revoked their direct debit mandates in protest, refusing to allow the beleaguered utility company automatic access to their bank accounts while their taps remain dry.
Widespread Disruption and Mounting Anger
The crisis, which at its peak left more than 30,000 properties without a reliable water supply, has triggered a fierce public and political backlash. The water regulator, Ofwat, has confirmed it is now investigating the company's performance. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has labelled the situation 'appalling', and there are cross-party calls for the chief executive, David Hinton, to be dismissed.
Although SEW reported that water had been restored to 16,500 properties in East Grinstead by Thursday, a significant number – 7,500 customers in Kent – were still without this basic essential. The disruption has forced the company to establish bottled water stations and deploy tankers to support hospitals, schools, and vulnerable residents.
A Community in Revolt: 'Flush the Company Away'
In one of the worst-hit areas, Tunbridge Wells, a campaign group called Dry Wells Action has emerged. The group's founder, 58-year-old Jonathan Hawker, stated that fed-up residents believe it is time SEW was 'flushed away'. He revealed that approximately 75 households on Forest Road have already cancelled their direct debits, a move he is considering himself.
'Whatever the excuse is today, nobody believes it. We are in the dark,' Mr Hawker said. He emphasised that residents are not refusing to pay their bills but are stopping the company's direct access to their funds. 'They can bill us and we will pay, but they'll have to wait for it,' he added, noting that the community is also demanding compensation by cheque to intentionally make the process more costly for SEW.
The frustration is palpable on the ground. 'What we really want is no more SEW. We need this company flushed away....They are not fit for purpose. We are up the creek without a paddle,' Mr Hawker stated, revealing the group has even organised a shower-sharing scheme for locals left without running water.
Schools Shut and Regulatory Repercussions Loom
The fallout extends beyond homes, severely impacting local education. Skinners' Kent Academy in Tunbridge Wells has closed until Monday, citing a lack of faith in SEW's information, while Beechwood School has delayed mock exams and moved to online learning. Deputy headteacher Rebecca Smith criticised the firm's 'appalling' communications, highlighting the immense emotional, operational, and financial strain on the community.
This incident marks the second major failure for South East Water in less than two months, following a nearly two-week outage in the same region last November and December. Ofwat has warned that if its investigation finds SEW in breach of its licence conditions, the company could be stripped of its licence and placed into special administration until a new buyer is found.
As the crisis drags on, the act of cancelling direct debits has become a powerful symbol of consumer defiance. Professor Richard Dobson, 53, a health data science expert from Forest Road, summarised the sentiment: 'I cancelled it because I'm not getting any service and I don't see why they should be getting money reliably from me when I'm not getting a reliable service from them.'
