South East Water

South East Water failed to adequately communicate with customers during winter water outages, leaving tens of thousands without water. A report by the Consumer Council for Water found fewer than one in 10 customers satisfied with the company's handling of the crisis, identifying communication as its greatest failing.

Hundreds of South East Water customers in Kent remain without water as staff distribute bottled water near Herne Bay. The incident is being reported with a photo credit to PA.

South East Water is seeking a solution after a downgrade led to a license breach. The article includes a visual of water dripping from a faucet against a blue sky.

South East Water has urged residents in Kent and Sussex to use water only for essential needs due to a surge in demand caused by extreme heat. The company reported a 100m litre increase in usage over the average, following water outages for hundreds of homes over three days during record temperatures.

Hundreds of homes in Kent and Sussex were left without water due to a technical failure at a pumping station operated by South East Water. The outages were most severe in Charing, Challock, and Molash, with the company citing increased demand from hot weather as a contributing factor. The incident follows recent criticism of South East Water by MPs for alleged incompetence.

South East Water CEO David Hinton is stepping down after supply outages in Kent and Sussex, and will remain in post until a successor is found. The move comes a week after chair Chris Train resigned. An orderly transition is expected over the summer.

The boss of South East Water has resigned from his £400,000-a-year job after 24,000 households were cut off, despite saying he felt customers' pain. The resignation comes as a response to the water outage crisis. He had previously expressed empathy for affected customers.

The CEO of South East Water has quit due to pressure from UK lawmakers. The resignation comes after issues with water distribution in areas such as Maidstone, Kent. An emergency bottled water distribution point was set up on January 13, 2026.

MPs have accused South East Water's leadership, including CEO David Hinton and the board, of incompetence and unaccountability over repeated water outages affecting 2.3 million customers in Berkshire, Hampshire, Kent, Surrey, and Sussex. A parliamentary committee declared no confidence in the executives.

David Hinton, CEO of South East Water, will forgo his £400,000 salary bonus due to 'unacceptable outages' affecting thousands of customers in Kent and Sussex. The decision follows criticism from MPs regarding the company's water supply failures.