South East Water

‘They’re a private company, run for profit!’: fury in Kent at South East Water’s outages

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https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/may/28/anger-kent-south-east-water-outages

Water company blames increased demand in extreme heat, but customers want answers about lack of storage reservoirs

“Spitting, fuming, angry and powerless” is how Pat Prestage describes her emotions after a water outage that has affected thousands of homes in Kent during the heatwave.

On Wednesday, 8,000 South East Water customers in Whitstable lost water, with 14,000 more in Tankerton, Ashford, and its surrounding areas facing an intermittent supply or low pressure. South East Water’s incident manager, Matthew Dean, said on Thursday that 22,000 people had had water supply problems.

The company blamed increased demand in the hot weather and asked people to use water only for essential purposes.

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The Prestages are angry at the company’s response, particularly its co-option of what the couple describe as the “blitz spirit” in asking customers with water to ease up on their usage to help those without.

“They talk to the public as if they’re a public service. They’re a private company, run for profit!” says Pat. “Some of the money we’re paying, they’re pocketing, and it’s not going into the reservoir we’ve needed for 40 years.”

Martin says “the inference is almost that it’s our fault”.

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https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/may/28/anger-kent-south-east-water-outages

Continue Reading‘They’re a private company, run for profit!’: fury in Kent at South East Water’s outages

Five water firms to raise bills after appeal

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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/five-water-firms-raise-bills-after-appeal

 A water bill from Southern Water

PLANS to allow water firms to increase bills yet again, despite decades of mismanagement and ongoing pollution, were condemned by campaigners today.

Five firms are set to raise charges by up to 5 per cent above the limits initially set by regulator Ofwat.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) confirmed that Anglian Water, Northumbrian Water, South East Water, Southern Water and Wessex Water have been permitted to hike their tariffs following an appeal.

The firms argued that Ofwat’s original decision left them unable to meet the regulatory requirements set out for them.

It follows a ruling in December, in which Southern had already been allowed to increase bills by 53 per cent over the next five years.

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Kirstin Baker, who chaired the independent group of experts appointed by the CMA to consider the price controls, said that the request for significant bill increases were “largely unjustified.”

River Action CEO James Wallace said: “Once again, water bill payers are forced to shoulder the cost of decades of failure.

“Millions of households in England face higher bills while rivers continue to suffer from mismanagement by privatised water companies.

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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/five-water-firms-raise-bills-after-appeal

April 2023 Surfers Against Sewage and Extinction Rebellion protests in St Agnes, Perranporth, Truro and Charlestown which unveiled spoof Blue Plaques to the MPs and Conservative Government who allowed raw sewage to be dumped in the sea (Image: Surfers Against Sewage)
April 2023 Surfers Against Sewage and Extinction Rebellion protests in St Agnes, Perranporth, Truro and Charlestown which unveiled spoof Blue Plaques to the MPs and Conservative Government who allowed raw sewage to be dumped in the sea (Image: Surfers Against Sewage)
Continue ReadingFive water firms to raise bills after appeal