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“They’re a private company, run for profit!”: fury in Kent at South East Water’s outages
Water company blames increased demand in extreme heat, but customers want answers about lack of storage reservoirs
TL;DR
- 8,000 homes in Whitstable and 14,000 more in surrounding areas lost water supply, with some facing intermittent or low pressure.
- South East Water attributed the problem to increased demand during hot weather and asked customers to conserve water.
- Customers criticized the company's response, questioning its private, profit-driven nature and lack of adequate reservoir capacity.
- Residents, including vulnerable individuals and the elderly, faced difficulties obtaining water, with some queueing for hours.
- MPs had previously accused South East Water executives of incompetence, leading to leadership changes.
- There are concerns that water outages are becoming a regular occurrence in Kent.
- The government has targets to reduce water usage in England by 2038 and 2050, as current consumption is high compared to other European countries.