Water boss faces questions in parliament
A water company was "flying blind" for weeks before a crisis that left tens of thousands of people in Kent and East Sussex without drinking water, a regulator has said.
Some 24,000 properties in Tunbridge Wells, Pembury, Eridge and Frant lost supply or pressure for days, following a "water quality issue" at a South East Water (SEW) treatment works.
Marcus Rink, chief inspector at the Drinking Water Inspectorate, said the problem began almost three weeks before the company declared the emergency.
SEW chief executive David Hinton - who earns a base salary of £400,000 and received a bonus of £115,000 last year - apologised and admitted the crisis was a "failure".
