Floods and a lack of drinking water could result from plans to build thousands of new houses in Kent, experts are warning.

Water UK, which represents the UK's water and sewage firms, says the government appears to be taking supplies for granted.

It says water resources in the south of England are already stretched and new developments could make the problem even worse.

And the Environment Agency says developers building homes should pay part of the money needed for flood defences.

Experts from the two groups were speaking to the Commons Housing Select Committee on Tuesday morning.

They were responding to plans to build 200,000 new homes, many of them in Kent, which were announced by deputy prime minister John Prescott last week.

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New houses will be built around Ashford and in the Thames Gateway area, which straddles north Kent and south Essex, as part of a huge scheme to create more affordable housing.

Jacob Thompkins of Water UK said the organisation supported the commitment to affordable housing, but felt the needs for essential services like water may not have been taken into account.

He said extension of the Bewl Water reservoir, close to the Kent-Sussex border, and new sewage works would be needed.

And he said the water industry should be consulted on strategic planning issues as a matter of course in the future.

Meanwhile, Peter Madden of the Environment Agency told MPs existing flood defences around the Thames Gateway would only last until about 2030 when they would need strengthening.