Expected restoration of water supply by Friday.

South East Water (SEW) has confirmed that water supply is expected to be restored by Friday for nearly 6,000 homes and businesses in West Kent, including Pembury, Matfield, Brenchley, and Horsmonden. Some properties may still experience interruptions on Friday morning due to a burst main pipe from Bewl Water Treatment Works.

South East Water (SEW) has confirmed that water services are anticipated to be restored on Friday for nearly 6,000 homes and businesses in the West Kent area. Communities including Pembury, Matfield, Brenchley, and Horsmonden are expected to see the return of water supply, although some properties may still experience interruptions on Friday morning.

Reason for the Service Interruption

The disruption in water supply was caused by a burst main pipe connected to the primary system originating from Bewl Water Treatment Works located in East Sussex. SEW stated that the process of repairing the damaged main proved to be more complicated than initially anticipated, resulting in delays in the restoration of complete water service.

Temporary Water Supply Measures

To assist residents affected by the outage, SEW has reopened bottled water distribution points at the following locations on Friday morning:

• Matfield Village Hall
• Tesco, Pembury

Impact on Public Facilities

The water disruption extended beyond residential properties. On Thursday, two local schools had to close due to the absence of water supply, demonstrating the broader consequences on community services and daily operations in the affected areas.

Regulatory and Official Response

The water regulator, Ofwat, began an investigation into South East Water in January following repeated water supply failures impacting thousands of households. Earlier this year, SEW Chief Executive David Hinton explained to East Sussex councillors that widespread outages were caused by freeze-thaw cycles that led to burst pipes, compounded by extreme weather from Storm Goretti. During the height of the disruption, about 30,000 properties were without water, leaving many households without supply for several days and generating public criticism as well as calls for the resignation of the company’s chief executive.

Recent and Related Developments

Approximately 6,000 properties were affected by the main burst, while SEW reported that Storm Goretti also caused river contamination, complicating the water treatment process. Ofwat continues to investigate repeated supply interruptions by South East Water.

Further Information

For ongoing updates and detailed guidance, customers are encouraged to visit the South East Water official website.

Sources:

• 'Anticipated' return of water supplies on Friday

Author: Maya Henderson
Maya Henderson is a journalist focused on technology and startups. She has experience in leading IT publications and excels at conducting interviews and creating visual content.