A recent report has determined that South East Water (SEW) inadequately communicated with its customers during last winter’s water outages, which affected tens of thousands of residents. The Consumer Council for Water (CCW) revealed that fewer than 10% of SEW customers expressed satisfaction with the company’s response to the crisis, which predominantly impacted areas in Kent and Sussex. The report emphasized that ineffective communication was SEW’s most significant shortcoming.
Mike Keil, the CEO of CCW, stated, “Our findings highlight the extent of the disruption experienced by thousands of South East Water customers last winter. While customers recognize that problems can arise with water and sewage services, they expect their providers to minimize the impact, rather than exacerbate it. With appropriate management, companies can foster trust during difficult situations, but a poor response can intensify the challenges faced by customers.”
Keil noted that one of the most detrimental outcomes of the situation was the diminished trust among some SEW customers regarding the safety and reliability of their drinking water.
The water supply interruptions occurred in November and December when approximately 24,000 customers in the Tunbridge Wells area experienced a loss of water supply or pressure due to a quality issue at the Pembury water treatment facility. A precautionary boil-water notice was issued on December 3, 2025, and was lifted on December 12, 2025. In January of this year, around 69,000 properties faced further water shortages and low pressure.
One customer interviewed for the report remarked, “You suddenly realize how much you depend on water for everything.” The failure to communicate effectively emerged as a primary concern among survey participants.
Another customer commented, “Had I known it would last several days, I would have made different arrangements… I was beginning to think that if this continued, I would have to move out because living here became untenable.” A different respondent added, “I found the messaging from the start to be confusing, especially with constant updates of ‘it’ll be back later today, tomorrow morning, tomorrow evening.’ We were not provided with accurate information.”
Individuals with health vulnerabilities also voiced worries regarding the outages, particularly related to hygiene maintenance. The report indicated that about half of the customers in vulnerable situations who were registered for priority services did not receive the expected assistance.
This report was released while South East Water faced additional scrutiny for recent water outages that left hundreds of households in Kent and Sussex without water during last week’s hottest days. The company announced on Tuesday that all affected households should have their water supply restored. Hundreds of SEW customers in Kent and Sussex experienced interruptions beginning May 23.
Recently, South East Water’s senior executives were criticized by a committee of MPs for their handling of recurring water outages impacting tens of thousands of customers. The company is also facing a £22 million penalty from the industry regulator, Ofwat, due to significant supply disruptions over several years, with MPs stating that SEW has failed to adequately serve its customers.
