Chaos grips Tunbridge Wells as water outage drags into fourth day
Thousands Still Dry as Schools Stay Shut Over Toxic Water Scare
Nearly 14,000 Tunbridge Wells residents remain without water as a crisis sparked by a “toxic chemical batch” hits its fourth day. The local treatment plant was forced to shut on Saturday, leaving tens of thousands parched with no full fix expected until tonight.
At its peak, the outage hit 24,000 people. South East Water has restored supplies to 10,000 homes overnight, but many locals still face dry taps. Several schools, including Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar, Tunbridge Wells Grammar for Boys, and Oakley School, remain closed due to the ongoing emergency.
Promises water would return by 8am today were dashed, leaving frustrated residents queuing for bottled water across the town.
MP Slams Water Firm: ‘Disaster’ – Demands CEO’s Head
Tunbridge Wells MP Mike Martin lashed out at South East Water, branding the fiasco a “disaster” and calling for CEO David Hinton to quit immediately.
“Utterly pathetic performance from someone so highly paid,” Martin blasted after a tense call with Hinton, who reportedly responded with “ranting” and “whining.”
Martin blasted the company’s poor crisis management and lack of communication, revealing locals waited over an hour for bottled water due to supply shortages. He also criticised unequal resource distribution, noting Tonbridge got better treatment than Tunbridge Wells.
“The whole thing has been a disaster. At leadership level, South East Water has totally failed,” Martin added.
Locals Speak Out – ‘It’s Like a Nightmare’
- Dad-of-two Ravi Kathiresan said water rationing isn’t nearly enough for his family’s daily needs.
- Sue Bickmore labelled the situation a “total nightmare,” struggling with no water to flush or clean.
- Lyn Gardner called the wait “degrading” and spoke of “a feeling of despair.”
Local pub landlord Teresa Barrett revealed she’s lost £600 in trade and had to axe Christmas events, slamming South East Water’s handling as “appalling.”
Water Company Responds: Bottled Water Stations Open
South East Water apologised for the ongoing issues. They explained they are carefully recharging the network to prevent pipe bursts and removing air pockets, which might cause discoloured or cloudy tap water—but say the water is safe.
Bottled water stations are open across Tunbridge Wells at:
- Tunbridge Wells Sports Centre, St John’s Rd
- Odeon Cinema, Knights Way
- RCP Parking, Tunbridge Wells
Incident Manager Marc Sims reported over 6.5 million litres of water tanker-delivered and 400,000 litres bottled so far. He urged vulnerable residents to register for priority services.
With repairs continuing, locals face a long wait for normal water service to resume.
