- Engineering works and operational changes underway to strengthen network resilience
- Independent Review of recent outage to report in April 2026
- New executive appointments focused on investment delivery and technology change
South East Water today (Wednesday, 18 March) provides an update on the actions that are being implemented to improve the resilience of the water supply network that serves 2.3 million customers across Kent, Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire.
In February 2026, South East Water started a six-month programme of engineering works and accelerated operational changes to the way in which supply interruptions are managed.
These works – which complement longer-term investment plans to improve resilience across the whole region – seek to urgently reduce the risk of network outages in Tunbridge Wells, Maidstone, Canterbury and Whitstable, East Grinstead, and Crowborough. These areas are where historical demand is highest for the approximately 85,000 households, and supply interruptions have been hardest felt by the communities South East Water serves.
The operational changes are also designed to improve the experience of all customers in the event of a future network outage. South East Water’s actions are in direct response to recent water supply interruptions and address feedback received from customers and local communities through the extensive stakeholder engagement undertaken since November 2025.
With the support of its shareholders, South East Water is implementing these works and changes in addition to the investment levels currently allowed by Ofwat, the regulator, meaning the cost will not be borne by customers.
Reducing the Risk of Supply Interruption
The programme of engineering works includes:
- Improving main and network connections to maximise the flow of available water in the network from local reservoirs;
- Reviewing the performance of water treatment works and accelerating technical upgrades that were previously scheduled later in South East Water’s resilience programme;
- Fast-tracking the investment in, and installation of, batteries at key sites to mitigate the impact of any power blips, particularly when hot weather or high demand periods drive power surges;
- Installing additional temporary reservoir storage tanks at critical sites to provide additional treated water storage where it may be required, in turn increasing the volume of available water.
Together, these changes seek to improve water supply, and the resilience of that supply, by increasing the availability of water when customers and communities need it – particularly during peak periods.
Improving Customer Experience
In the event of future network outages, the drinking water company is making changes to its operations which include the way South East Water supplies alternative water to customers, particularly to critical care sites including care homes, GP surgeries, and schools.
As part of this, South East Water is working closely with local resilience and community groups to ensure alternative water sources – including water tankers and bottled water stations – are in optimal locations to support the needs of local communities, and they have sufficient resources to maximise the volume of water when it is needed most.
To manage these resources, South East Water will digitise its operations when stocking and delivering alternative water to customers when it is needed, enhancing efficiency in the way it responds to incidents and helping ensure customers and communities can rely on it to maintain alternative supply.
South East Water welcomes the Action Plan recently presented by the Consumer Council for Water (CCW) and will implement the proposals in full as part of the changes it is already making.
Independent Review
In February 2026, the Executive and Board of South East Water commissioned an independent review into the supply interruption and boil notice incident that occurred at the Pembury Water Treatment Works (WTW) in December 2025.
The Review is being undertaken by leading external subject matter experts. It includes a forensic investigation to determine the root causes of the incident, how South East Water responded, and will ensure lessons are learned to improve future resilience.
The Executive and Board intends to publicly share the Review’s findings with the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs in April 2026.
Executive Appointments
South East Water also welcomes two new Director appointments to its senior leadership team.
Matt Webb, who held roles at UK Power Networks and EDF Energy, has joined as Technology and Insight Director. Paul Lonsdale, who joins from the Anglian Water @one Alliance with Balfour Beatty, will assume the role of Investment Delivery Director.
Both Matt and Paul will support the delivery of South East Water’s long-term business plan and provide additional executive leadership expertise.
David Hinton, CEO, South East Water, said: “We are committed to urgently reducing our risk of supply interruptions following unacceptable recent incidents and improving our response to incidents.
"Our programme of engineering works provides near-term, concrete targets and we will deliver them in the next six months. These works and the operational changes underway are in parallel to gearing up for South East Water’s biggest ever five-year proposed investment plan for making our network more resilient.
"To support our delivery now and in the future, I am pleased to welcome new Executive Directors to South East Water’s senior team. Matt and Paul bring valuable insight and experience and they will be joining colleagues out and about in the community explaining what we are doing. Their expertise will help us speed up how we bed in learnings that will come from our independent reviews and get our water system working as it should for our customers and local communities.”
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