Thousands of homes in Tunbridge Wells, Kent have been without water for four days after South East Water accidentally added the wrong chemical to their tap water supply.
Schools across the region have been closed for two days, and residents have been collecting rainwater in buckets to flush toilets. Cats, dogs and guinea pigs have been given Evian to drink as people in Tunbridge Wells wait for their water to be turned on again. Currently, 18,000 houses are without water.
The water company accidentally used a bad batch of coagulant chemicals at its Pembury treatment site, meaning it had to be shut down to clean the pipes. The site is back up and running.
Bottled water stations are open around Tunbridge Wells as the water company tries to ensure no one runs out. Elderly people have reported that they are finding it difficult to reach these stations and have to rely on neighbors as the water company is not able to do home delivery.
Local Liberal Democrat MP Mike Martin has called for the CEO of South East Water to resign.
He said: “I am calling on David Hinton, CEO of South East Water, to resign. 24,000 properties have suffered three days of South East Water’s chaotic emergency response and poor communication. This is completely disgraceful and a complete failure of David Hinton’s leadership.”
Martin said restaurants and hotels lost thousands in revenue as they had to close, and care homes were left without water, with GP surgeries also having to close.
Tunbridge Wells resident Martin Bryant said he collected water to flush his toilet during heavy rain yesterday. “What a time to be alive,” he said. Another resident, Roger, said: “Heavy rain. No water in the taps. Dogs and rabbits drinking Evian. Welcome to live in Tunbridge Wells in 2025.”
The government has said the disruption is “unacceptable”. A Defra spokesperson said: “We are in regular contact with South East Water over the disruption to the water supply in Tunbridge Wells, and Defra officials are working closely with the company to ensure support for those affected. Steps are being taken to resolve the incident as quickly as possible.
“This type of disruption is unacceptable and we expect the water company to continue to take immediate action to support residents and resolve the issue as quickly as possible.”
Matthew Dean, incident manager at South East Water, said: “The number of properties currently without water is around 18,000.
“As water supplies return, customers may experience discoloration. This is normal and occurs when naturally occurring deposits, which accumulate within our water mains network over time, become disturbed.
“Our Pembury treatment site is now up and running after having to cease operations on Saturday night due to a water quality issue.”
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