The MP for Tunbridge Wells has accused South East Water of misleading residents over an outage affecting up to 24,000 households.
Mike Martin says the communication from the company has been a ‘total shambles’, as the time for the significant issues to be resolved keeps being pushed back.
Residents began experiencing low pressure – or no water at all – on Saturday after Pembury Water Treatment Works stopped working due to a ‘bad chemical batch’ which means supplies had to be cut off as a safety precaution.
South East Water, which says it is ‘very sorry’ for the disruption, said teams were working overnight as the water storage tanks began being refilled.
Mr Martin told ITV News he believes customers have been treated appallingly. He said,
“The communication South East Water has been utterly appalling.
“It would have been better if they hadn’t communicated at all, because what they did put out was false and misleading and caused people to make incorrect planning decisions.
“We repeatedly had the time being shifted later and then earlier, and then stations have opened and closed. It’s been a total shambles from top to bottom.”
South East Water says it is ‘very sorry’ for the disruption Credit: ITV Meridian
People went to sleep on Sunday expecting the problems to be resolved by 6am on Monday but this was not the case and around 22,500 customers remain affected.
The water company has kept three stations opens for people to collect bottled water, while it has delivered water to 2,000 vulnerable customers.
In its recent statement, the firm said, “We’re very sorry to all our customers in Tunbridge Wells who remain without water or have low pressure this morning.
“Water supplies will gradually return to customers’ taps throughout the day as we slowly refill the town’s pipeline network and clear air locks.
Forklift trucks moving crates of bottled water ready for customers to collect Credit: ITV News Meridian
“As water supplies return, customers may experience discolouration. This is normal and happens when naturally-occurring deposits, which settle and build up within our network of water mains over time, are disturbed.
“We are continuing to move water around our network and have tankered more than three million litres of water into the town to keep as many customers in supply as possible.
“Our Pembury treatment site is now back up and running after it stopped working on Saturday night due to a water quality issue.”
South East Water’s website estimates the problems will be resolved by 2pm on Monday.
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