South East Water Hosepipe Ban Sparks Anger Among Kent Residents

South East Water's hosepipe ban in Kent amid a heatwave has sparked anger among residents due to supply issues and recent bill increases. The ban affects 850,000 households including Ashford and Maidstone, with calls for better preparation and development suspension.

Anger and frustration over hosepipe ban in Kent

Residents facing extreme heat have expressed anger and frustration following South East Water's (SEW) announcement of a hosepipe ban affecting around 850,000 households in Kent.

The water company has been criticised as "despicable" after imposing the restriction due to increased demand amid a sustained heatwave.

SEW chief executive David Hinton stated:

"The sheer scale of this sustained heatwave means drinking water is being drawn from our storage tanks faster than it can be treated and refilled."

However, customers who have experienced multiple water outages in recent years voiced their dissatisfaction with the company's explanations. Naomi Scarborough, a Maidstone resident, described SEW as "absolutely disgusting" and "despicable".

"Everything has been left to go to the dogs, to pay the shareholders," Scarborough added.

Emilia Pound from Sevenoaks commented on the situation:

"It's a little bit ridiculous. These are the hottest days we've experienced in a long time, and three weeks ago they had half of Sevenoaks without water. They'd shut it off! And now there's this hosepipe ban. You have parents who can't keep kids cool by chucking them in a paddling pool. You've got people wanting to cool down their dogs. How are we supposed to keep cool?"

The ban area covers Ashford, Tunbridge Wells, Sevenoaks, Maidstone, and Canterbury.

A map of Kent showing a large area in blue. — Image caption, The ban area includes Ashford, Tunbridge Wells, Sevenoaks, Maidstone and Canterbury

Another local resident, Tom from Sevenoaks, expressed his concerns:

"It's really not ideal as they restricted our supply and now they're saying we have to restrict our water usage. Obviously the temperatures are really high, and ultimately they should prepare better for children and the elderly who need water when it's unusually hot."

Consumer group criticises SEW and calls for development suspension

Dry Wells Action, a consumer advocacy group based in Tunbridge Wells, criticised SEW for failing in its primary role to supply water to Kent homes.

Group chairman Jonathan Hawker said:

"We can live without using hosepipes in the garden or to wash a car. We can't live without drinking water or with a water company that doesn't know what it's doing."

The group has called for a "common sense" suspension of new housing developments within the SEW network area until the water supply crisis is definitively resolved.

Hosepipe ban enforcement and customer reactions

SEW requested customers to comply with the ban "immediately," although it legally came into effect at 00:01 on 3 July.

A person stands with their back to some bottles of water. The sky is grey and it is drizzling. They have the hood of their water-proofed jacket up. — Image caption, The ban comes into force on 3 July

Some customers expressed anger after SEW increased bills by an average of 7% from April, raising the average annual charge to £324, and then imposed the hosepipe ban.

George Witcomb, a Tonbridge resident, shared his concerns about the impact on his father, a keen gardener:

"He's very proud of our garden at home, so it's going to have quite an impact on that," he explained.

He described the situation as "one thing after another" with SEW.

Howard from Maidstone said:

"People will just use their hose pipes anyway on a day like today, and why shouldn't they?"

Conversely, Maidstone resident Elizabeth Wood urged calm and acceptance of the ban:

"It's no problem and was to be expected. Just keep calm and carry on."

A young woman with tied-up blonde hair in a beige shirt. She is wearing black and brown glasses and there is a car park behind her. — Image caption, Maidstone resident Elizabeth Wood urged people to 'just keep calm'

Annette Cox, owner of the Even Flow cafe in Tunbridge Wells, expressed that she was not surprised by the ban given SEW's history:

"I'm just not surprised. I wouldn't have expected them to react any other way. I think we've been through so much with them that it's just standard behaviour really."

SEW leadership and supply challenges

David Hinton, who resigned in May following supply issues but remained in post to ensure an "orderly transition," acknowledged customers' frustrations regarding the ban.

"To safeguard that shared supply and prevent any homes from facing a sudden loss of water, we sadly need to ask our communities to not use their hosepipes immediately. We are deeply sorry for the disruption this causes, and we are incredibly grateful to everyone helping us protect Kent's water."

The hosepipe ban was announced amid ongoing supply interruptions affecting some SEW customers.

As of Thursday morning, parts of Ashford, Headcorn, and Whitstable in Kent were experiencing no water or low pressure. Additionally, Compton in Surrey, along with Peacehaven and Arlington in East Sussex, faced supply disruptions.

Regulatory scrutiny and past supply failures

The water regulator Ofwat recently proposed fining SEW £22 million over issues that affected 286,000 people in Kent and Sussex between 2020 and 2023.

Between November and December, approximately 24,000 SEW customers experienced no water supply or low pressure following a plant failure, which resulted in a boil water notice lasting several days.

Weeks later, up to 30,000 households endured days of water supply problems, which SEW attributed to cold weather and Storm Goretti.

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