Water supplies have been restored to thousands of homes in Kent, but residents are being warned they must boil it before drinking, following a recurring water quality crisis. South East Water (SEW) has issued an urgent boil water notice affecting approximately 24,000 properties in and around Tunbridge Wells.
Recurring Problem Halts Safe Supply
The incident, which began on Saturday evening, 29 November 2025, was triggered by a "bad" batch of chemicals at the Pembury Water Treatment Works. While SEW initially worked to recharge the network, the company confirmed on Wednesday 3 December that the water quality issues had returned. This forced them to make a critical decision: continue pumping water for sanitation but declare it unsafe for direct consumption.
Dr Neil Hudson, SEW's Head of Water Quality, stated the company was currently unable to produce drinking water from the Pembury works that meets regulatory standards. "We understand many customers have been without water for a number of days, causing issues with basic public health functions," he said. "We have therefore taken the decision to pump water... which can be used for flushing toilets or showering, but crucially cannot be used for drinking without boiling first."
Political and Public Outcry Grows
The situation has sparked significant political criticism and public anger. During Prime Minister's Questions, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey called on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to convene a Cobra meeting to "get a grip of this crisis". Sir Keir himself described the situation as "shocking", noting that promises from the water company to resolve it had not been met.
Mike Martin, MP for Tunbridge Wells, told the BBC the episode represented a "total failure of leadership" and called for the resignation of SEW's chief executive, Dave Hinton. The independent Consumer Council for Water (CCW) has demanded a thorough investigation into the handling of the incident, with its chief executive Mike Keil highlighting that customers facing rising bills "expect to see the service improve - not get worse".
Community Response and Ongoing Support
In response to the crisis, South East Water has established three bottled water stations across Tunbridge Wells, which remained open until 10pm on Wednesday. The company has also published a map and list of affected postcodes on its website.
Among residents, frustration with "broken promises" from the utility company was palpable. However, local resident Darren Carpenter noted a silver lining, expressing "hope" after witnessing neighbours supporting one another throughout the ordeal. The company advises that the boil notice will remain in place until further testing confirms the water is fully safe to drink directly from the tap.
