Regulator Ofwat has launched an investigation into South East Water after repeated outages left thousands without drinking water in Kent and Sussex
Affected customers in East Grinstead now have water, but many in Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells don't
Ofwat said the last six weeks have been "miserable" for businesses and households
The water company said it will fully co-operate with any investigation by regulators
The prime minister said the situation, which affected 30,000 customers at the height of the problems, was "clearly totally unacceptable"
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Image source, GoogleFrant Church of England Primary School closed at midday on Thursday due to having no water.
Executive headteacher Joanna Challis says parents generally have been "very supportive", but that communication from South East Water has been "poor, but has improved".
She says: "We've had thanks for keeping the school open as much as we can and for providing packed lunches.
"It's like being back in Covid times, when you have to react."
The school hopes to reopen on Friday.
Image source, Getty ImagesSouth East Water has said a third bottled water station is open near The Pantiles in Tunbridge Wells - in a car park on Major York's Road.
Two other stations are open in the town, at:
Rebecca Smith, deputy headteacher of Beechwood School, says the communications from South East Water have been “appalling”.
She tells BBC Newsround: “While they have called to check in on us they have not provided information.
"It's just been a, ‘are you closed? Do you need any more water?’ Not, ‘this is what we're going to be doing to resolve the situation’.”
The school has put online learning measures in place for pupils, but mock examinations have had to be delayed.
“Where one minute you have water and the next minute you don't, or you don't know when it's coming back, there's a huge emotional strain.
"There's operational strain, and financial strain as well.”
Michael Keohan
Kent political reporter
Image source, Getty ImagesAlistair Carmichael MP - chair of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee - tells me he is looking to call in the owners of South East Water to give evidence before Parliament.
He says: "It strikes me that every step of the way protections in this company have failed.
"The CEO makes poor decisions and won’t account for them. The non-execs won’t pull the CEO into line.
"If that continues then the shareholders need to be asked why they don’t sort out the non-execs."
Chief executive David Hinton gave evidence to MPs last week over a supply problems in the Tunbridge Wells area last year.
Carmichael says he plans to recall the boss to give more evidence.
Chrissie Reidy
South East, in Tunbridge Wells
The surface is being relevelled at the Tunbridge Wells Rugby Football Club car park.
The location has been used as a bottled water station for over a week now and is looking a bit worse for wear.
Mims Davies, the MP for East Grinstead and Uckfield, tells parliament that Ofwat has "thankfully moved to action" over the performance of South East Water.
Speaking at Business Questions in the House of Commons she says it has been a "repeated, shambolic, failing performance" from the water company.
She says her constituents want "action and accountability".
Davies asks the Leader of the House of Commons, Sir Alan Campbell, to make government time to discuss "community business impact, vulnerable people, livestock and the challenges around compensation and performance for those affected".
Sir Alan responds it is "an unacceptable supply failure in every regard" and the government is "holding the company to account".
He says restoring supply "must be the company's priority" and those affected "must receive compensation".
Minutes ago, the BBC reported that South East Water is investigating video which appears to show bottled water being photographed outside properties and then removed.
The water company now says it was an isolated incident.
It tells the BBC bottled water has been redelivered to the property and the individual is not working for the contractor anymore.
Image source, FacebookSouth East Water says it is "immediately" investigating footage circulating on social media, which appears to show bottled water being delivered to a house, photographed and then removed moments later.
"We're very concerned about the stories and videos being shared on social media regarding the bottled water and grab bag deliveries in Tunbridge Wells," a spokesperson for the company says.
"Due to the scale of the operation to deliver to all affected customers, we were supported by a third-party company.
"We'd like to thank customers for sharing their experiences to make us aware," they say.
Alan Jones, chair of a residents committee in Tunbridge Wells, says: “Why should we continue to live like this?
"Back in 2022 the then-MP Greg Clark worked hard to extract assurances from South East Water that resilience would be improved and that required capital expenditure."
He says: "As far as I can see that has not happened, which is why we are again in this situation, not only before Christmas, but after Christmas.
"This was a disaster waiting to happen.”
Many residents in Kent and Sussex are ending the week in the same way they started - without unrestricted access to water in their homes.
Ofwat, the water regulator, has now opened an investigation into South East Water, the water company servicing the affected areas.
The regulator says that if it is satisfied that a company has breached a condition of its licence, it must take enforcement action to secure compliance. This can include imposing a fine on the company of up to 10% of its turnover.
At the height of the disruption, as many as 30,000 properties were without water.
Tonbridge, in Kent, is one of the areas affected. South East Water previously told the BBC that it had resolved the problem in the area after water supplies failed this morning, but about 1,000 households south of Tonbridge and in the village of Bidborough are still experiencing water shortages.
It is the second time in less than two months that South East Water has failed to deliver drinking water to all its customers.
Emma Wiseman, who lives in Tunbridge Wells, says that despite the kindness of neighbours who are sharing the little water available, everyone is "starting to get really fed up".
To mitigate disruptions, South East Water has set up five bottled water stations in Kent and Sussex.
Several MPs have also voiced their concerns over how the company has handled the situation and have welcomed Ofwat's investigation. South East Water has said it will fully co-operate with any investigation.
Mike Martin, the MP for Tunbridge Wells, says "we cannot afford to wait for a drawn-out investigation" from Ofwat to resolve the water supply situation.
The MP has repeatedly called in recent weeks for the resignation of David Hinton, the chief executive of South East Water.
"It's obvious that South East Water has breached the terms of the license," Martin says.
"The government must immediately issue an enforcement order against the water company and strip them of their license."
Chrissie Reidy
in Tunbridge Wells
Tunbridge Wells campaign group Dry Wells Action says it wants to “hold South East Water to account for the persistent failure in its sole duty - to provide fresh water to our community”.
Group member Jo Dobson says a number of her neighbours had taken the decision to cancel their direct debits to the water company.
“In this current climate, it’s a luxury for a company to have guaranteed income, particularly one that we have zero confidence in,” she says.
Another member of the group, Jonathan Hawker, adds: “We need outside intervention now to help this company do its sole job, which is to deliver water to Tunbridge Wells.”
Image source, Getty ImagesGreen Party leader Zack Polanski has written to the prime minister calling on him to take South East Water into public hands via special administration.
"In special administration, the government can refuse to pay shareholders compensation," Polanski says.
"Crucially, it can also refuse to pay debtholders if this would interfere with water company performance."
The party leader says in September 2025, Environment Minister Emma Hardy set an "exceptionally high bar for special administration".
He says the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs select committee was told that the government would only put a water company into special administration if "fundamentally water does not come out of the tap and your toilet does not flush and sewage does not go away".
"Even this extremely high threshold set by the government, far beyond what the law requires in order to put a water company into special administration, has been met," Polanski says.
Kris Bramwell
BBC News
Image source, Emma WisemanEmma Wiseman, from Tunbridge Wells, says she gets water in the morning before it "fades away" by lunch time.
"My husband works in healthcare and not being able to wash in your home or clean your uniform when you get home is really tricky, putting things mildly," she says.
"My neighbours are amazing but we’re all starting to get really fed up now not being able to shower, wash hands, clothes [and] dishes unless you manage to get some water at 6am."
About 1,000 properties in the south of Tonbridge and the village of Bidborough have ongoing water issues, according to South East Water.
The company previously told the BBC that the problem in the area was resolved.
However, a spokesperson has since said: "This was initially affecting around 2,000 properties, but water supplies have been returned to around half of those affected and we are working hard to restore supplies to those still impacted."
About 7,500 properties in Kent are currently without water, predominantly in Tunbridge Wells.
Image source, GoogleImberhorne School in East Grinstead has thanked parents and students for their "patience with this unprecedented and deeply frustrating situation".
"We are assured that our supply will remain consistent from this point onwards but will continue to monitor and communicate with you if there is any change in this position," a school spokesperson says.
Image source, South of England Agricultural SocietySouth of England Agricultural Society says it is being called on by South East Water to help local farmers.
The society says: "It’s all hands on deck with water supply in our region at the moment."
Image source, Getty ImagesFive bottled water stations are open in Kent and Sussex, South East Water says:
Image source, UK ParliamentMaidstone MP Helen Grant says South East Water's (SEW) "continued stream of inaccurate and vague updates" has been "infuriating".
Despite SEW saying issues in Loose had been resolved, she says once again residents are without water.
"This situation is completely unacceptable," the MP says.
Grant has requested an another urgent meeting with the water minister and has also contacted SEW "demanding a clear and honest explanation of what is actually happening".
"Still there is no sign of accountability from CEO David Hinton. It is disgraceful," Grant says.
