Treatment works issue leaves 24,000 without water

About 24,000 customers are without water in Kent and the issue is set to continue through the night, a water company has confirmed.

On Saturday, South East Water (SEW) apologised to customers in the Tunbridge Wells area who were experiencing a loss of water or low pressure due to an issue at a treatment works.

Earlier, SEW delayed its estimated resolution of the issue to 06:00 GMT on Monday.

Matthew Dean, head of operations control, said Pembury Water Treatment Works had stopped working "due to a bad chemical batch".

South East Water incident manager, Marc Sims, said the firm was aware of about 24,000 customers who were without water.

He said: "We are continuing to move water around and tankering into the network to try to bring as many supplies back as possible.

"We have received a new batch of the affected chemical this morning and the required water quality checks are currently under way."

Bottled water stations were set up at Tunbridge Wells Sports Centre, in St John's Road, Tunbridge Wells, and at Sovereign Way East Car Park, in Tonbridge.

"However, due to the winter festival in Tonbridge, we have closed the Sovereign Way bottled water station," Mr Sims said.

Another bottled water station is expected to open at RCP Parking, in Tunbridge Wells.

"We are waiting for the bottled water to be delivered. We will let you know once the station is ready to use," Mr Sims added.

Nicola Hodgson, who lives near the Pantiles in Tunbridge Wells, was among customers questioning why the first water station was set up in an "entirely different town".

She said her husband had tried to visit the Tonbridge water station "first thing this morning and there was nothing there".

"We have two young children, aged five and seven, so [they] have decamped to their grandmothers for the moment, so we can get them something to drink and have working toilets," she added.

Tunbridge Wells MP Mike Martin said he was also without water and had spoken to the chief executive of SEW.

He wrote on X: "For those who are not aware, the problem has been caused by a bad batch of coagulant chemicals.

"A new set of chemicals have been procured and the team have been working through the night to clean out Pembury Treatment Works."

Meanwhile, Teresa Barrett, who runs the Black Horse in Camden Road, said the pub had been without running water since midnight.

She said: "Sadly this means it is illegal for us to open. If I could, I would be opening."

Losing a day of trading would be "extremely damaging", the landlady said, adding: "I can't afford to be closed, I can't lose a day's trading in the current climate.

"Things are hard enough for hospitality right now, businesses in this sector would have prepared for table bookings today and lost an extreme amount of money, [and] staff will still need to be paid."

Peter Vincent, who lives in Grove Hill, said he noticed that the "cistern wasn't refilling properly" on Sunday morning.

"We would get the flow and the pressure coming down the hill from the mains," he told BBC Radio Kent.

"For us to be slow like that, it's going to be pretty hard for some people somewhere in the town when they all start drawing their water off."