Ofwat launches investigation into South East Water

Regulator Ofwat has opened an investigation into South East Water after repeated water supply failures across Kent and Sussex.

Some 30,000 properties had no water at the height of the problems, with thousands still affected on Thursday.

Ofwat will investigate whether the water company has provided high standards of customer service and support – a condition of its licence.

South East Water said it would “always fully co-operate with any investigation by regulators and provide any information required.”

Lynn Parker, Ofwat’s senior director for enforcement, said the last six weeks had been “miserable” for those affected.

“We know that this has had a huge impact on all parts of daily life and hurt businesses, particularly in the run-up to the festive period,” she said.

Ofwat said if it was satisfied a licence condition had been breached, it would take enforcement action to secure compliance, which could include fining South East Water up to 10% of its turnover.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer called the situation “totally unacceptable” and the government later asked Ofwat to review the company’s licence.

Mike Keil, chief executive of the Consumer Council for Water, said customers were “feeling anxious and uncertain every time they turn on the tap”.

“Launching this investigation sends a signal not only to South East Water, but to all water companies that how you treat people during disruption matters,” he said.

Keil called for the investigation to be conducted “swiftly” since “customers are impatient for change”.

South East Water is already subjected to two separate investigations by Ofwat and the Drinking Water Inspectorate over earlier supply disruptions.

Siobhan Bales, from Tunbridge Wells, told BBC Radio Kent her water problems began last Wednesday.

“It’s incredible that this has gone on for so long, and happened again,” she said.

“I’ve recently changed my energy provider but you can’t change your water company.”

Several schools have been forced to close due to the water supply issues.

Skinners’ Kent Academy in Tunbridge Wells said it would remain closed for the rest of the week.

In a letter to parents, the head teacher blamed the closure on “an exhausting cycle of events made more problematic by the lack of communication”.

“I have no faith that the information being provided is actually accurate and want to provide a small amount of consistency for all,” they said.

Businesses have had to close or reduce trading, with one restaurant owner telling the BBC that he was losing £1,000 a day due to the outage.

South East Water chief executive David Hinton was grilled by MPs for his company’s handling of supply failures in November and December.

Alistair Carmichael, chairman of the Parliamentary Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, said he and his colleagues remained “deeply sceptical” about the firm’s version of events.

The committee has recalled Hinton and chairman Chris Train to provide further evidence to the committee.

Several MPs have called for Hinton – who earns £400,000 and got a £115,000 bonus last year – to resign.

Mims Davies, the MP for East Grinstead and Uckfield, told BBC Radio Sussex that he had “lost the room”.

South East Water said Hinton was “absolutely working as hard as everybody else behind the scenes”.

On Thursday morning, incident manager Matthew Dean said water had been restored to all of the 16,500 properties in East Grinstead.

Supplies had also been restored to about 2,000 properties in the Loose and Coxheath areas, he said.

The company later said issues affecting about 2,000 people in Tonbridge and surrounding villages were now resolved.

Some 6,500 properties in Tunbridge Wells should “wake to a consistent supply of water” on Friday, it added.

It previously blamed the supply disruptions on Storm Goretti and a power cut at a pumping plant.

The company said it had been working “around the clock” to fix the issues – most of which were burst water mains.

Bottled water has been delivered to customers on the company’s priority services register, which includes those with young children, medical conditions or disabilities.

The firm was due to open four bottled water stations on Thursday at East Grinstead Sports Club, Tunbridge Wells Rugby Football Club, Odeon Cinema in Tunbridge Wells, and Mote Park Leisure Centre in Maidstone.