Hosepipe bans across large parts of England are causing public frustration and a "culture war" over exemptions for vulnerable groups. Critics blame water companies for significant leaks and AI data centers for high water consumption, while experts highlight climate change and aging infrastructure as root causes.
South East Water has expanded its hosepipe ban to include parts of Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire, and Berkshire, affecting an additional 1.5 million customers, bringing the total to 2.4 million people in southern England. The ban, effective Saturday, follows record-breaking temperatures and has drawn criticism from local MP Josh Babarinde regarding underinvestment in infrastructure.
Thousands of homes and businesses in Kent, particularly Tunbridge Wells, are experiencing a second day of water supply issues due to an instrument failure at a South East Water treatment works. The company, facing financial uncertainty, expects supplies to return Sunday evening and has opened bottled water stations.
Up to 7,000 households and businesses in Kent, particularly Tunbridge Wells, are experiencing low water pressure or no supply for a second day due to a temporary instrument failure at a South East Water treatment works. The company has opened bottled water stations and apologized amid customer criticism.
Southern Water is imposing a hosepipe ban on 1 million customers in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight from July 10, citing critically low river levels after a record warm spring and heatwave. This marks the second consecutive year for such a restriction.
South East Water has named John Halsall as its new chief executive designate, replacing David Hinton. Halsall, who has prior experience with Thames Water and South West Water, faces the challenge of addressing customer concerns and implementing a £2.1bn investment program to improve reliability amid ongoing criticism.
A report found South East Water failed to communicate adequately with tens of thousands of customers during winter water outages in Kent and Sussex, leading to low satisfaction and loss of confidence in water safety and reliability.
Thousands in Kent faced water outages for a week during the hottest period of the year, with vulnerable residents struggling to access bottled water. Businesses lost thousands, and criticism is aimed at South East Water for failing infrastructure and executive pay, despite high customer bills.
Avrupa'yı etkisi altına alan sıcak hava dalgası nedeniyle İngiltere'de sıcaklıklar 30 dereceyi aşarken, İspanya'da 40 dereceye ulaşması bekleniyor. Birçok ülkede rekor sıcaklıklar kaydedilirken, halka sağlık uyarıları yapıldı.
Hundreds of homes in Kent and Sussex are without water due to high demand from hot weather, impacting villages like Charing and Eastbourne. South East Water cited technical failures and high demand, while MPs recently accused the company of incompetence over repeated outages.
David Hinton will remain in post while successor is found, utility says, a week after group’s chairman quitThe chief executive of South East Water has announced plans to step down just a week after the group’s chairman quit in the wake of major supply outages in Kent and Sussex.The supplier said David Hinton, who joined the group’s board in 2013, would stay in post to allow an “orderly transition” over the summer while the group hunts for his successor. Continue reading...
The boss of South East Water (SEW) has quit just a week after its chairman following demands by MPs for a change of leadership at the struggling utility firm.
The boss of South East Water (SEW) has quit just a week after its chairman following demands by MPs for a change of leadership at the struggling utility firm.
It comes after a group of MPs declared that they had no confidence in the company's leadership.
South East Water (SEW) has announced the resignation of its chairman following a critical report.
It comes after a group of MPs declared that they had no confidence in the company's leadership.
The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee has declared no confidence in South East Water's leadership after a scathing report described the company as 'devoid of proper leadership' and 'riddled with cultural problems'. The rebuke follows a major water outage in late 2025 that left tens of thousands of customers in Tunbridge Wells without drinking water for two weeks. The report highlights failures at Pembury Treatment Works, including a lack of water testing and routine maintenance. Ofwat is consulting on a fine of up to £22.46m.
MPs have declared no confidence in South East Water's CEO David Hinton and board following repeated water outages affecting 2.3 million customers in Berkshire, Hampshire, Kent, Surrey and Sussex. The Efra committee report criticises leadership for a culture of unaccountability after a two-week outage in Tunbridge Wells left tens of thousands without water, including vulnerable people in care homes. The company faces a £22m fine from Ofwat for supply disruptions affecting over 286,000 people between 2020-2023.
United Utilities share price jumped 11% after the water company announced an £800m share placing with Future Fund and Atlas as cornerstone investors. Ofwat's regulatory settlement a year ago has proven more generous than initially thought, particularly for companies not incurring heavy pollution fines. UU now targets 10-11% return on equity and seeks to spend an additional £2.5bn on infrastructure, potentially adding £10 to household bills. Severn Trent rose 7% in sympathy, with both companies at all-time highs.
