Image source, Getty Images
South East Water distributing h2o to customers aft thousands of properties crossed Tunbridge Wells were affected by h2o disruptions successful January 2026
South East Water indispensable walk £30.5m connected improvements aft proviso interruptions deed thousands of its customers crossed Kent and Sussex.
Water regulator Ofwat said this follows the decision of 3 investigations into the company's repeated failures.
The redress bundle volition beryllium paid for by the firm's shareholders and not done lawsuit bills.
A spokesperson for the h2o institution said they were "incredibly sorry" for the humanities proviso disruptions for Kent and Sussex customers.
"We cognize this caused important disruption and anxiety, and we judge the failures identified by Ofwat," they said.
"It is not the modular of work our customers deserve.
"Our precedence has been to guarantee that the solution of this probe straight benefits those who suffered the most."
Ofwat says the redress volition see £5m to supply escaped h2o butts for households, £5m to bring guardant astute metering to businesses and different non-household customers, and a further £5m for on-site retention to assistance negociate the proviso during highest demand.
Image source, PA Media
Ofwat says South East Water did not supply affected customers with capable bottled h2o supplies
The regulator previously projected a £22m fine for h2o proviso failures betwixt 2020 and 2023, which impacted much than 286,000 people.
It launched a 2nd probe astatine the commencement of this twelvemonth aft further proviso interruptions successful Tunbridge Wells and crossed Kent and Sussex betwixt November and January, which near up to 70,000 homes without water.
Customers were incapable to entree pat water, ablution oregon flush their toilets during the proviso issues betwixt November and January.
Schools were closed and immoderate customers had to cancel enactment due to childcare issues arsenic a result, portion others had trouble dealing with aesculapian conditions, according to Ofwat.
The watchdog recovered the institution did not pass "clearly and accurately" with customers rapidly capable and did not supply those affected with capable bottled h2o supplies.
The 3rd probe followed the downgrading of South East Water's recognition standing by Moody's successful May, which meant the steadfast was successful breach of its licence condition.
'Happening acold excessively often'
An autarkic show volition beryllium appointed by Ofwat to reappraisal the company's show betterment plan.
Ofwat says the institution volition besides wage for the autarkic monitor, which is not included successful the £30.5m enforcement package.
Helen Campbell, enforcement manager of transportation astatine Ofwat, said: "South East Water indispensable present absorption connected what matters most, its customers.
"These failures person caused existent disruption and hardship for residents and businesses crossed galore years, and proviso interruptions of this standard person happened acold excessively often.
"This bundle is simply a archetypal measurement towards accountability and improved performance, and we invited the company's efforts to resoluteness these cases."
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