Sussex Weald MP criticises South East Water over outages

The MP for Sussex Weald said hundreds of constituents were affected over the weekend, and she had received reports of service failures across Sussex Weald, including Heathfield, Broad Oak, Frant, Crowborough and East Hoathly, ranging from low pressure to dry taps.

The disruption coincides with the announcement of a new hosepipe ban.

Ms Ghani said: "It is regrettable that South East Water has allowed the taps to run dry yet again, affecting hundreds of Sussex Weald constituents over the weekend.

"This unacceptable disruption coincides with the announcement of a new hosepipe ban."

Ms Ghani said: "I have called on South East Water to remember that any issue affecting Tunbridge Wells also affects residents across my constituency."

The MP said she is working with other MPs and stakeholders in Kent and Sussex to hold the water company to account.

She also raised concerns about the impact of new housing developments on an already unreliable water network.

Ms Ghani said: "It worries me that proposals to build tens of thousands of new homes across the constituency will worsen the water supply crisis.

"I am also calling on Wealden District Council to press South East Water to explain how they will be able to accommodate all these new homes proposed in Wealden’s Plan."

She stressed the importance of keeping vulnerable customers a priority during outages.

Ms Ghani said: "As I do through every incident, I continue to stress to South East Water’s leaders the importance of having their Priory Services Registers up-to-date and unified across stakeholders to ensure that their vulnerable customers are not left stranded and water is delivered to them as a priority."

She described the outages as part of a wider pattern of failure by the company.