Image description: Rows of bottled water. Photo by Jonathan Chng on Unsplash

Chair steps down following parliamentary report highlighting poor leadership

The chair of South East Water (SEW), Chris Train, has resigned following the publication of a highly critical report by the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Select Committee, which accused the company of poor leadership, weak governance, and a culture of zero accountability.

The committee took the “unusual but necessary step” of declaring no confidence in SEW’s chief executive David Hinton and the wider board, citing “multiple and ongoing failures.” SEW acknowledged that new leadership was needed to “oversee a critical period of positive, transformative change.” Lisa Clement has been appointed as interim independent non-executive chair.

A catalogue of supply failures affecting tens of thousands

The no-confidence declaration follows a series of major supply outages that left tens of thousands of customers in Kent and East Sussex without drinking water. An incident at the Pembury Treatment Works in late 2025 left homes, schools, GP surgeries and care settings in the Tunbridge Wells area without clean water for up to two weeks. A further outage shortly afterwards affected up to 30,000 households. Tunbridge Wells MP Mike Martin reportedly described SEW as “a clear and present danger to public health,” warning that another crisis was a matter of when, not if.

“An unaccountable clique”

The committee’s report emphasised the company’s leadership culture as a particularly significant issue. In one of its sharpest criticisms, MPs noted that a company described by its own leadership as having a “family feel” was better characterised as “an unaccountable clique.” The report found that SEW had failed to properly maintain infrastructure, prepare for extreme weather, or adequately support vulnerable customers during outages. Communication during the Tunbridge Wells incident, including inaccurate information about bottled water stations, was also singled out for criticism.

Regulatory and financial pressure mounting

Ofwat has noted that SEW has one of the worst records in the industry for supply interruptions over the past decade and is currently consulting on a proposed fine of up to £22.46m linked to the Tunbridge Wells incident. Calls have also been made for chief executive David Hinton, who the BBC highlights received a £115,000 bonus last year on top of a £400,000 salary, to resign.

SEW customers meanwhile saw bills rise 7% from April, bringing the average annual bill to £324. In response to the report, SEW apologised for the disruptions and committed to doubling investment in its supply network over the next five years. The committee also called on SEW’s shareholders, including the Utilities Trust of Australia, the NatWest Group pension fund, and Desjardins Group, to intervene.