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Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to wonder WTF is going on at South East Water.

69 replies

JenniferBooth · 12/01/2026 16:43

Im not in their area but have seen yet again on the news that their customers are yet again without water. Priority customers arent getting deliveries of bottled water. Ppl are being expected to drive miles to collect it. Schools are closed Absolute shit show.

OP posts:
Goodadvice1980 · 12/01/2026 17:00

SE Water is a complete shit show.

Thewonderfuleveryday · 12/01/2026 17:04

Yanbu. Once in a blue moon for a few hours would be a shit show.

To take a few days to fix it last time and it's happened again almost immediately is criminal.

Walkaround · 12/01/2026 17:17

Maybe their CEO is in league with the Russians. 🤣 Or, more likely, we don’t even need to be attacked by our enemies, because we are perfectly capable of trashing our own infrastructure.

boilingstormyseas · 12/01/2026 17:25

I live in the South East Water area and can confirm that lack of water isn't a new phenomenon. Previous disruptions to water supplies just haven't made the mainstream news. Too cold - no water, too hot - no water. Water bottle stations ... miles away from where you live - nothing local - last time it was a 20 mile round trip to pick up water. Also, a number of leaking pipes around here are still leaking six months after they were first reported.

JenniferBooth · 12/01/2026 17:37

Christ what a shitty third world service

OP posts:
dynamiccactus · 12/01/2026 18:03

It keeps happening in the same area, it's nuts. What is wrong with them?

I come under SE Water too but am in a slightly different area and it hasn't affected us (yet).

squashyhat · 12/01/2026 18:15

I'm right in the middle of the affected area. It's an absolute shit show. No idea when things are going to improve. Many of us are suspending our direct debit payments. And they have the absolute nerve to label their (too few, over crowded, under supplied) water stations as "courtesy water", as if somehow they are doing us a favour Angry.

JenniferBooth · 12/01/2026 18:39

squashyhat · 12/01/2026 18:15

I'm right in the middle of the affected area. It's an absolute shit show. No idea when things are going to improve. Many of us are suspending our direct debit payments. And they have the absolute nerve to label their (too few, over crowded, under supplied) water stations as "courtesy water", as if somehow they are doing us a favour Angry.

Saw the suggestion of suspending direct debits on fb. Dont blame them.

OP posts:
Katemax82 · 12/01/2026 18:46

I love near to where the outages are. The secondary school my daughter goes to had a non uniform day today because a lot of parents were affected by the outage and couldn't wash uniforms. Luckily we are a few miles in the opposite direction of the outages but we had one last year that lasted a night. Also...£77 a month for water rates?!

Katemax82 · 12/01/2026 18:48

squashyhat · 12/01/2026 18:15

I'm right in the middle of the affected area. It's an absolute shit show. No idea when things are going to improve. Many of us are suspending our direct debit payments. And they have the absolute nerve to label their (too few, over crowded, under supplied) water stations as "courtesy water", as if somehow they are doing us a favour Angry.

You live near me then

Voltefarce · 12/01/2026 18:52

I am just outside the affected area, but my child’s school is within it and was closed today and likely to be closed tomorrow. Trying to magic up childcare for the week in case it goes on.

GameofPhones · 12/01/2026 18:52

Appalling. What's the MP doing? or even the PM?!

boilingstormyseas · 12/01/2026 19:03

GameofPhones · 12/01/2026 18:52

Appalling. What's the MP doing? or even the PM?!

Katie Lam, our MP has been all over this

Dobbyismyabsolutefav · 12/01/2026 19:06

It is a complete shit show and everyone is beyond fed up. I have water this week but was without water for 3 days last week. So many friends and colleagues have had major disruption in December, 5/6 days without water then on a 10 day boil notice. So for the area to have no water again is appalling. So many businesses are effected too, especially hospitality.

South East Water have compounded matters by adding incorrect postcodes to the boil notice before Christmas which caused a huge amount of concern. Thankfully we are a house out adults so can go to work but for those with young children it must be a nightmare. They have had to close some schools today. Also, so many people are having issues with their boilers due to low water pressure which means no heating too!

fashionqueen0123 · 12/01/2026 19:06

I heard on the radio the CEO has a body guard. The next day I heard about the latest water problems!

JenniferBooth · 12/01/2026 19:06

boilingstormyseas · 12/01/2026 19:03

Katie Lam, our MP has been all over this

Im pretty sure thats the one who i saw pressuring them via social media e mails and phone calls on Christmas Day It just came into the news feed. Was trying to remember her name.

OP posts:
BotterMon · 12/01/2026 19:09

JenniferBooth · 12/01/2026 18:39

Saw the suggestion of suspending direct debits on fb. Dont blame them.

Don't do that as you then lose the right to compensation. Not worth the risk.

It is an absolute shitshow and today the nearest bottle station ran out at 1pm. Livestock are at risk as you can't water 100 cows with bottled water and Hinton needs to go. The local MPs are shouting but don't seem to be getting any results.

The whole system needs to be overhauled which will cost millions and take a long time.

Fuck knows what it's going to be like with an additional 20,000 houses.

Walkaround · 12/01/2026 19:09

Too many people, not enough water, climate change, zero effective future-proofing, not enough reservoirs, water leaks everywhere, people taking water for granted, phenomenal incompetence, grossly inadequate infrastructure generally, capitalism, corruption, no interest whatsoever from the powers that be in ensuring infrastructure capable of sustaining building development, acknowledged problems tackled with blinkers deliberately put on - eg solve insulation whilst putting fingers in ears over the details like ventilation or flammabiliy, build more housing whilst wilfully ignoring the effect on the environment or infrastructure (eg Councils pretending the roads will not be gridlocked and pretending they don’t know the developers always lie, always cut corners, always blame someone else, and always conveniently go bust when it suits them to avoid fulfilling their fanciful pledges), etc. It’s not as if water supply is the only problem. Failing GP surgeries, overwhelmed hospitals that are falling to bits, gridlocked roads, regular flooding, constant sewage leaks, regular issues with public transport, schools in massive deficits. Anyone would think we can’t afford everything we have been led to expect, and there is more profit for those who have the power and money in creating more global chaos, not less.

Dobbyismyabsolutefav · 12/01/2026 19:10

@GameofPhones In fairness to our MP he is all over social media and has been scathing of the SEW CEO Dave Hinton. Especially as he was in parliament the same day the water went again.

BotterMon · 12/01/2026 19:11

fashionqueen0123 · 12/01/2026 19:06

I heard on the radio the CEO has a body guard. The next day I heard about the latest water problems!

That's the CEO of Southern Water who have also had issues but nowhere near those of South East Water customers.

ZookeeperSE · 12/01/2026 19:23

Dobbyismyabsolutefav · 12/01/2026 19:10

@GameofPhones In fairness to our MP he is all over social media and has been scathing of the SEW CEO Dave Hinton. Especially as he was in parliament the same day the water went again.

Helen Whately and Rosie Duffield have also said they will be meeting with SEW.
But honestly, I'm not sure what they can actually do. The government needs to step in now. The areas around Canterbury that have been without water haven't even been supplied with a water station so far. Vulnerable customers have had no contact from them. And where there are water stations, it's over an hours round trip for some of those affected. This coupled with the constant pumping of sewage into our waterways and coastline is an absolute travesty. The number of houses being built (and constantly more being approved) in this area is insanity when SEW can't cope with the current number. They've owned the land for a new reservoir here for FIFTY years and done nothing about building it. When it is finally built, the demand from new houses being built will already have outstripped its additional capacity. Years and years of not investing in the infrastructure is what has caused this. SEW actually had the bare faced cheek to blame Storm Goretti for the issues this week. We were the least affected part of the country! They claim the storm hampered their ability to treat and pump drinking water - but what was the excuse when it happened a few weeks ago?

Namechangetoday812 · 12/01/2026 19:29

dynamiccactus · 12/01/2026 18:03

It keeps happening in the same area, it's nuts. What is wrong with them?

I come under SE Water too but am in a slightly different area and it hasn't affected us (yet).

Me too. We're the other side of one of the affected areas, so fingers crossed! Really feel for those affected.

We're on a new-build (well, 20-year-old so teething problems should have been long resolved) estate serviced by a local pumping station that always used to trip and cut the water supply whenever there was a storm, heavy rain or hot weather or even a little breeze. So not immune to SE Water's incompetencies.. The worst was 24 hours without water on the record-breaking heatwave day in 2021. Fortunately that was fixed a couple of years ago after 10 years 😬

itsthetea · 12/01/2026 19:30

Water should not be in the hands of companies who need to make a profit

YYURYYUCICYYUR4ME · 12/01/2026 19:33

For SE Water read Shit Show!! We need infrastructure and for our politicians to get their priorities right!

GCSEBiostruggles · 12/01/2026 19:33

We are in the area and would not be amazed if an expose shows we have had contaminated water before. DS left a pint of water from the tap next to his bed overnight and it was yellow/brown in the morning.

I strongly suspect successive CEO's have taken the profits where they should have been investing in infrastructure. None of them seem very bright and with Brexit they haven't had EU oversight.

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