Properties lose water supply on Christmas Day

Southern Water has apologised after some properties lost water supply on Christmas Day, despite the company previously saying the chances of this were "significantly reduced" following repairs to a burst water main.

The burst pipe was discovered in woodland near Hastings on Tuesday, with the company initially saying it could cause supply failures on Wednesday.

Southern Water said a new section of pipe had been fitted and water was being restored to the network, but the issues meant water levels at the Fairlight Reservoir were "lower than normal".

During the afternoon on 25 December, a short power outage at Brede Water Supply Works affected the remaining levels in the reservoir.

Southern Water said that supply works are now fully operational, and it is working to inject water back into the reservoir and explore additional ways to increase levels at Fairlight as quickly as possible.

A bottled water station will be open at Pelham Place Car Park, on Carlisle Parade, until 22:00 GMT.

Tania Flasck, director of water operations, said: "We know this is worrying news, especially on Christmas Day, and we want to reassure our customers that we're doing everything possible to restore normal levels at Fairlight Reservoir.

"We'd also ask everyone in Hastings and the wider area to use water carefully where they can. This will help us refill the reservoir more quickly and reduce the risk of any supply interruptions."

Previously, Southern Water said: "After a successful restart, the Beauport Water Supply Works has run all night, producing safe, clean, drinking water."

Couriers were delivering bottled water to about 15,000 vulnerable customers as a precaution, the company said.

"Although the possibility of interruptions to supply can't yet be ruled out, it's looking significantly reduced," it said.

Customers have been asked by the water firm not to use more water than usual or stockpile mains water "as this will make the situation worse".

Southern's managing director, Tim McMahon, said on Wednesday that in the best and most likely scenario, there would be no supply interruption.

"We are very confident that there will not be an interruption of supply for customers," he told BBC Radio Sussex.

Mr McMahon said Southern Water was putting precautions in place after "learnings" from a multiple-day supply failure in the Hastings area in May 2024, which affected over 32,000 properties.

Hastings and Rye MP Helena Dollimore said residents "will be judging Southern Water on their actions not their words".

"I've had vicars, headteachers, people who run community centres all stepping up and seeing how they can help, and possibly run a water station if we need it," she told BBC Radio Sussex.

"I really appreciate that, I think that is the spirit of Hastings."

Southern Water added a £50m project to replace the 5.6 mile (9km) pipe over three years had been brought forward to begin in January.

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