Tunbridge Wells Water Shutdown Leaves 6,000 Homes Dry
More than 6,000 residents in Tunbridge Wells have been left high and dry after the Pembury Water Treatment Works was forced to shut down due to a “bad chemical batch”. The shutdown has drained local water storage tanks, plunging the area into a serious water shortage.
Emergency Water Stations Set Up – No One Left Parched
South East Water has opened emergency bottled water stations to ease the crisis. The Tunbridge Wells Sports Centre station on St John’s Road is open until 10pm, handing out up to 12 bottles per household. The water company insists that the currently supplied water is safe and does not need boiling.
Incident manager Matthew Dean apologised to customers: “The water currently in supply is safe and does not require boiling.”
Police Called as Traffic Chaos Hits Town
The scramble for bottled water sparked traffic gridlock, forcing police to manage queues and maintain order at collection points. South East Water is working around the clock, transferring water from other areas and replacing the faulty chemical batch to restore supply.
Priority Support for Vulnerable Residents and Essential Services
- 1,700 vulnerable customers on the Priority Services Register have had bottled water delivered straight to their doors.
- Care homes received emergency water supplies.
- Tunbridge Wells Hospital is being supported with a water tanker to keep vital services running.
MP Mike Martin, affected by the outage himself, tweeted: “Site moving quickly, further sites being set up in town centre.”
Meanwhile, the Black Horse pub on Camden Road has shut down after losing water supply since midnight.
Fix Expected by Monday Morning – Stay Patient
South East Water estimates the problem will be resolved by 6:00 AM on Monday, 1st December 2025. In the meantime, locals are urged to use bottled water stations and stay calm.
