Worry and frustration as water outage continues for third day

Residents in parts of Kent, including Tunbridge Wells, are facing ongoing water shortages for the third consecutive day due to a problem at a local water treatment plant. South East Water (SEW) has issued apologies to nearly 24,000 affected customers who are experiencing either no water supply or reduced pressure.

Locals described the disruption as challenging, with many unable to flush toilets or take showers. Some schools in the area announced closures on Monday. Haike Tzianetas, a special needs teacher, had to take the day off work as her child's school was closed. She reported queuing for 45 minutes on Sunday to obtain bottled water, only to find the supply had run out.

Residents are finding alternative ways to cope. Lesley Bingham-Brazier from Pembury mentioned using the gym at Knights Park to shower, describing the situation as "like living in a developing country despite high costs." Three bottled water distribution points in Tunbridge Wells reopened on Monday, including Tunbridge Wells Sports Centre, Odeon Cinema Knights Way, and RCP Parking.

Teresa Barrett, who runs the Black Horse pub, described the situation as "difficult" and requested guidance on claiming compensation. Another resident, Lee, shared that he has been without water since Saturday afternoon, leaving him unable to flush his toilet and causing stress due to his disability.

Local MP Mike Martin confirmed he is also affected and criticized SEW for poor communication. SEW announced the problem would be resolved by 14:00 GMT, stating that water storage tanks at Pembury Water Treatment Works are being refilled. Once sufficient levels are reached, water will be gradually restored to the area's tanks at Blackhurst to prevent further network issues.

Since the outage began on Saturday, SEW has restored water to 1,150 properties in Pembury by Sunday and 500 homes by Monday morning. Matthew Dean, SEW's head of operations control, explained that the disruption was caused by a faulty chemical batch at the treatment works, with a replacement batch arriving on Sunday. SEW has also delivered bottled water to over 4,000 vulnerable customers.

The company warned that water may appear discolored when supply returns, but assured customers it is safe to use. Authorities continue to work to restore normal service across the affected areas.

Author: Sophia Brooks