More than 18,000 homes across Kent have been affected by water supply problems as soaring temperatures placed major strain on the network during the bank holiday heatwave.
Residents in areas including Herne Bay, Coxheath, Ashford and Maidstone have reported having little or no running water since the weekend, with some households still facing disruption on Tuesday evening.
Long queues formed at emergency bottled water distribution points set up by South East Water as frustrated residents attempted to collect supplies.
Huge Traffic Queues At Herne Bay Water Station
One of the main bottle stations was established at Sainsbury’s in Altira Business Park, Broomfield, near Herne Bay, where traffic built up significantly throughout the evening.
Drivers described “huge queues” stretching from the retail park onto the busy A299 Thanet Way.
Residents warned motorists travelling towards nearby businesses, including David Lloyd and Snap Fitness, to expect severe delays due to the congestion around the emergency water station.
Another bottled water collection point was also opened at Challock Village Hall near Ashford.
Thousands Affected Across Kent
At the height of the disruption, South East Water said around 18,000 properties had experienced supply issues across parts of Kent during the extreme weather.
Areas impacted included:
- Herne Bay
- Coxheath
- Charing
- Challock
- Molash
- Ulcombe
- Maidstone
- Wye
While supplies have now returned to many households, residents in some areas remain affected by low pressure or intermittent outages.
Customers living on higher ground or towards the end of supply networks were warned they could continue experiencing disruption during peak demand periods.
Heatwave Demand Blamed
South East Water said exceptionally high demand caused by the hot weather had placed “significant strain” on the network.
Saturday was officially the hottest day of the year so far, with temperatures reaching 30.5C in Frittenden.
The company said increased use of:
- drinking water
- showers
- paddling pools
- garden hoses
had dramatically increased consumption levels across the county.
In a statement, the utility provider said it had:
- increased output at the treatment works
- pumped additional water into the network
- boosted support reservoir supplies
in preparation for the heatwave.
Burst Water Mains Add To Problems
Separate incidents involving burst water mains have also added to the disruption.
Residents on Foster Street, Maidstone, experienced further supply problems after a burst main in the area.
Another burst main in Amage Road, Wye, forced road closures while emergency repair work took place.
South East Water said engineers were “working as quickly as possible” to restore normal supplies.
Residents Frustrated As Problems Continue
Many residents took to social media to vent frustration over the continued outages and low pressure, with some saying they had gone hours without usable running water during the hottest conditions of the year.
Others criticised the lengthy queues at emergency water stations as temperatures remained high into the evening.
South East Water said investigations into the ongoing supply problems remain a “priority” as crews continue repair and recovery work across Kent.
