'Almost all' have water back with boil warning

"Almost all" 24,000 properties that had been experiencing a loss of water or low pressure for days have seen their water restored, South East Water (SEW) says.

Alex Gregg, owner of Fuggles Beer Cafe, said he had to throw away 100 litres (175 pints) of beer, while Arabella Paul, who lives in Tunbridge Wells, told the BBC she was worried about the quality of supplies that were gradually being restored.

SEW apologised after some customers in Tunbridge Wells, Pembury, Frant and Eridge began having issues on Saturday.

SEW's notice to boil water before drinking it, washing up, preparing food, and brushing teeth, remains in place.

The notice came into effect on Wednesday and will be in place for a minimum of 10 days.

Emma Hardy, the minister for water and flooding, told the company it needed to be clearer in its communications, requesting "one clear message on who is impacted, on who isn't impacted, and on what should be happening".

The water company said on Thursday evening that "some isolated issues may still remain, particularly on higher ground".

Mr Gregg said he was still getting "mixed messages" from SEW six days into the water crisis.

He said he had had to throw food out, along with 100 litres (175 pints) of cask beer which had a short shelf-life.

He added: "I saw another message last night from another venue in town that had thrown £5,000 of stock away.

"A couple of places in town appear to have water coming back, but there was no water overnight from messages I've received. We don't know what to do."

He said since the water supply issue impacted his business, they have lost "£6,000 to £7,000" so far.

Tunbridge Wells resident Barbara Piercy has membranous neuropathy, an immune condition that causes too much fluid to be retained in the body and too much protein to be lost in urine.

"I'm too ill to go and get water plus I need access to a toilet every 10 to 15 minutes because I've had to stop taking my medication," she said.

"I'm worried about the contents of the water supply and the effect it could have on the drugs I'm taking."

Ms Piercy was worried the issue could continue until after Christmas.

"The long-term ill are forgotten in society at the best of times and this is making our lives much worse," she added.

Jamie Tandoh, who runs The Bakery in Tunbridge Wells, said the business had remained open during the water crisis.

"We have been buying huge amounts of water from the supermarkets so we can continue baking fresh bread. I'm here to bake bread not carry water," he said.

He added he was "not impressed" by SEW's boil water notice.

Birkan Koca, owner of Eggs Eleven, said the situation had been a "shambles", adding the "business has lost at least £15,000".

"If we lose the weekend it will be at least £20,000," he added.

He said the phone had been ringing constantly and they were having "to turn customers away as they could not open".

"The coffee machine doesn't get to boiling so can't use it," he said.

A SEW spokesperson said they were "extremely sorry" to customers in Tunbridge Wells and the surrounding areas who continue to be affected by no water or low pressure.

SEW has published a list of affected postcodes on its website.

"We are continuing to do this carefully to avoid issues such as burst pipes and some customers will experience low pressure while water continues to fill the network."

SEW boss David Hinton has been approached for comment. The company said its priority was to restore water.

Jason Denny, care manager of Milward House care home in Madeira Park, Tunbridge Wells, said water returned at about 21:00 GMT on Wednesday.

"But the water pressure is so low residents can't have showers or baths," he added.

"We're also still filling toilet cisterns with the bottled water. We are receiving deliveries from South East Water and get through about 5,000 litres (1,321 gallons) per day," he added.

Other families in the South East have told the BBC they have been unable to have a shower for several days.

Deborah Park, who lives in Frant, said: "It's been very disconcerting for most people, very unsettling and an enormous amount of inconvenience not knowing whether you're going to have a water supply or not."

She added that she was not confident the boiling water advice would end soon.

"On past performance with SEW not really sticking to any of their deadlines, it's just hard to know," she said.

"So essentially it's indefinitely until we're told otherwise."

She added: "I think given that we've all been asked to pay an extra 20% for our water, in this day and age it really is unacceptable.

"We're not being given information that we need."

Ben Chapelard, leader of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, said there had been "little preparation" from SEW for such an event, and he was "fuming" about how the company had handled the situation.

He told Radio Kent that the first water station SEW offered on Sunday "was in Tonbridge" instead of Tunbridge Wells.

The situation has also attracted the attention of the prime minister who described it as "shocking".

Ms Paul, who lives on Stephen's Road in Tunbridge Wells, told the BBC her house was "disgusting" as "the dishwasher is full".

"I'm not keen to use any of the water coming out of the taps except to flush my toilet as I'm worried about what's in it and don't want it going in my mouth or contacting my skin," she said.

Ms Paul, who is a break up and divorce coach, says the situation is "similar to covid" as it is "putting extra pressure on already-strained relationships".

SEW said bottled water stations opened at 09:00 on Thursday and were set to close at 22:00 at the following locations:

• Tunbridge Wells Sports Centre, St John's Road, Royal Tunbridge Wells TN4 9TX

• Odeon car park, Knights Way, TN2 3UW

• B&M Store with Garden Centre, Linden Park Road, Kent TN2 5QL

• The bottled water station at RCP Parking will not open on Thursday.

A SEW spokesperson said: "We have taken the decision to pump water from our treatment works into the network, which can be used for flushing toilets or showering, but crucially cannot be used for drinking or cooking without boiling first.

"The water is chemically safe, but a potential fault in the final disinfection process means customers must boil it before drinking."

The company said people did not have to boil the water before flushing the toilet, showering, or bathing.

However, Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust says the water should not be used to bathe children.

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