Image description: An outdoor water tap in sharp focus, with a blurred green background. Photo by Luis Tosta on Unsplash

Record heat, record demand 

Across the UK’s  hottest May bank holiday on record, temperatures hit 35°C at Heathrow and South East Water in Kent and Sussex found its system pushed beyond capacity. Demand peaked at 670 million litres, nearly 100 million above the seasonal norm. 

Several hundred homes across Kent villages lost supply, with around 800 properties in Charing, Challock and Molash facing outages or critically low pressure over the weekend. A further 168 households in Eastbourne were affected, and roughly 250 properties remained without water on Monday. 

Technical failure and burst mains compound pressures 

A technical fault at the company’s Charing pumping station was the immediate trigger, leaving properties on higher ground particularly exposed. A separate burst main at Decoy Drive in Eastbourne added to the strain. The company says it had planned for elevated demand by boosting treatment-works output and deploying tankers, but the surge outpaced these contingencies. Bottled water and distribution points were established for affected residents. 

A pattern of failure 

The May incidents come amid a difficult period for the company. Chairman Chris Train resigned earlier in May after MPs on the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee said they had “no confidence” in the chief executive and board. 

The company also faces a £22m fine from Ofwat for supply failures between 2020 and 2023, which affected more than 286,000 customers. Ofwat found the company’s response in that period to be “slow and disorganised” and identified shortcomings in the maintenance of key infrastructure. 

Calls for conservation and ongoing investigation 

In the short term, the company has urged customers to restrict use to essentials, such as drinking, washing and cooking, while supplies are stabilised. South East Water serves 2.2 million customers across Kent, Sussex and parts of Hampshire and Berkshire, regions facing pressure from population growth, climate-driven heat and ageing infrastructure. Ofwat is currently investigating whether South East Water is meeting its customer service obligations under licence.