Over 1,500 Customers Face Water Outages Following Pipe Bursts

Ruptured main pipes have left more than 1,500 customers across the South East with either limited or no water supply. South East Water extended its apologies to those experiencing low water pressure or a complete absence of water in nine areas spanning Kent, Surrey, East and West Sussex, and Hampshire. The affected locations included specific parts of Pembury, Canterbury, Herne Bay, Haslemere, Crowborough, Mayfield, and Aldershot. Simon Rejbakoz, manager of The Camden Arms on Pembury High Street, stated that his guests currently have no running water, and scheduled functions are now too late to cancel. He said: “We have a hotel so we are now dealing with guests that are sat in rooms with toilets that don’t flush and have no washing facilities.“Should it continue on we’ve got to look at maybe moving them to another hotel and losing out on that business.“There’s obviously never anything back from the water companies to accommodate any of that.” South East Water reported that it had managed to maintain supplies for the majority of customers impacted by the bursts. “We are really sorry to those of you who are experiencing low water pressure or no water at the moment,” a South East Water spokesperson said. The spokesperson added: “As soon as the repairs have been completed, your water will return to normal.” Nick Bell, South East Water’s head of operations, confirmed that investigations and repair efforts were in progress, and the majority of those still affected should have their supplies fully restored later today. South East Water indicated that supplies in Woodhill Park, Pembury, are currently being re-established for the 1,500 customers. Skinners’ Kent Academy in Tunbridge Wells sent children home at midday on Friday due to problems with water supply. Mark Turnbull had to collect his niece on short notice. He said: “My sister had a message from the school to say unfortunately they were closing the school due to a water problem.“It’s inconvenient for the pupils – I’m sure most of them are actually delighted to have Friday afternoon off.“It’s also difficult for parents. There’s quite a few people who work in London so that must be difficult.” The firm further stated that two customers in this area would remain without water until the pipe is completely repaired. A total of 52 properties are impacted in Marley Lane, Haslemere, while 22 properties are affected in Cranmore Lane, Aldershot. Currently, no customers in the other areas are experiencing issues, as repairs are either under way or have been finalized. To facilitate the safe repair of the burst pipes, traffic management measures were implemented before the work commenced, the spokesperson added.