Overview
- Thousands remain without reliable supply in Kent and Sussex, with South East Water reporting 8,500 properties in Kent off on Thursday and continued issues in Tunbridge Wells’ boosted zone.
- Ofwat opened the investigation after six weeks of recurring failures that left tens of thousands without drinking water across the region.
- Ministers are holding daily emergency meetings to oversee the response, and the Prime Minister says compensation rates for households and businesses have been doubled.
- Political pressure is intensifying as MPs and local leaders call for chief executive David Hinton to resign, and Parliament’s EFRA committee plans to recall company bosses for further scrutiny.
- Bottled-water stations, tanker support for hospitals, and priority deliveries to vulnerable customers continue as the company cites burst pipes and power cuts linked to Storm Goretti.