South East Water Under Fire: CEO Grilled by MPs Over Repeated Supply Failures

Introduction: A Company in Crisis

South East Water, a major UK water supplier serving 2.2 million consumers across Kent, Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire, has come under intense scrutiny following repeated water supply failures. The embattled chief executive of South East Water has admitted his company ‘did not perform as it should’ during the water crisis in Tunbridge Wells, marking the latest in a series of disruptions that have plagued the region. The company’s handling of these crises has raised serious questions about infrastructure resilience, regulatory oversight and corporate accountability in Britain’s privatised water sector.

December Crisis and Parliamentary Scrutiny

Thousands of homes were left with no water supply with schools, care homes and businesses disrupted in the lead-up to Christmas, because of an issue at Pembury Water Treatment Works. The December outage affected approximately 24,000 homes and it took nine days for South East Water to restore running water to the whole area after the issue at Pembury treatment works. On 6 January 2026, CEO David Hinton was questioned by MPs, where he faced criticism over the company’s preparedness and response. Marcus Rink, Chief Inspector of the Drinking Water Inspectorate, said he was “seriously disappointed” with the company’s performance.

Fresh Outages Compound Problems

Before residents could fully recover from the December crisis, new problems emerged. Thousands of despairing customers of South East Water in Tunbridge Wells are without supplies again – this time because pipes have burst in the freezing weather. The issue was caused by freezing temperatures which led to pipe bursts and leaks across the system. Adding to the difficulties, Storm Goretti caused outages at several water treatment work sites across Kent and Sussex, further delaying recovery efforts.

Underlying Infrastructure Problems

The root causes of South East Water’s troubles run deeper than weather events. Pembury works had been operating sub-optimally for weeks and months prior to the event, according to the Drinking Water Inspectorate. Hinton said that having 22,000 customers reliant on a single source of supply was “too many”. The CEO also pointed to broader challenges, noting that “The South-East of England is particularly hit with climate change impacts” and “We’ve had continual growth in housing forever and this has meant demand has got very close to our ability to supply”.

Conclusion: Accountability and the Path Forward

The repeated failures at South East Water have exposed systemic weaknesses in the UK’s water infrastructure and raised urgent questions about regulatory frameworks. With MPs demanding answers and regulators expressing disappointment, the company faces mounting pressure to invest in resilience and improve its crisis management. For the thousands of residents who have endured multiple disruptions, the situation underscores the critical importance of reliable water supply and effective utility governance. As climate change continues to strain ageing infrastructure, South East Water’s experience may serve as a warning for the wider industry about the consequences of underinvestment and inadequate preparedness.