An instrument failure at a treatment plant near Tunbridge Wells has left more than 7,000 properties across Kent facing low pressure, intermittent supply or no water at all, South East Water said, with service unlikely to be restored before Sunday evening at the earliest. The utility opened water stations at Tunbridge Wells Rugby Football Club and a Tesco Superstore on Pembury Road for affected customers.
The outage follows material uncertainty warnings over the company's survival, with losses reaching £55 million from winter disruptions that prompted Ofwat investigations into multiple supply failures across Kent and Tunbridge Wells between November and January. Regulator Ofwat has ordered South East Water to spend £30.5 million on improvements and imposed a £30.5 million penalty for those earlier interruptions.