Chaos as Tunbridge Wells Water Treatment Shutdown Leaves 6,000 Homes Dry
More than 6,000 Tunbridge Wells residents have been left high and dry after the Pembury water treatment works was forced to shut down due to a “bad chemical batch.”
Emergency Water Supplies in Place – No One Running Dry
Despite the disruption causing major headaches, South East Water insists no emergency water stations have run out. Bottled water is being handed out and a station at Tunbridge Wells Sports Centre is open until 10pm tonight, supplying thirsty locals with up to 12 bottles per household.
The company’s incident manager, Matthew Dean, apologised to affected customers and reassured: “The water currently in supply is safe and does not require boiling.”
Police Called In as Traffic Gridlock Hits Town
The water outage didn’t just cause dry taps; it also sparked traffic chaos as residents flocked to collection points. Police were called to manage the confusion and keep order at bottled water stations across the area.
South East Water is working round the clock, moving water from other areas and replacing the faulty chemical batch to restore normal supply.
Special Care for Vulnerable and Essential Services
- 1,700 vulnerable customers on the Priority Services Register have had bottled water delivered directly to their homes.
- Care homes have received emergency water supplies.
- Tunbridge Wells Hospital is supported with a water tanker to keep vital services running.
MP Mike Martin, who is also affected by the outage, posted on X: “Site moving quickly, further sites being set up in town centre.”
Meanwhile, the Black Horse pub on Camden Road has been forced to close as it has had no running water since midnight.
Issue Expected to Be Fixed by 6pm
South East Water expects to resolve the problem by 6pm today. Until then, residents are urged to use the bottled water stations and remain patient.
