Schools in Kent and Sussex shut again as water supply issues continue

Many schools in Sussex and Kent have been forced to close again due to ongoing water supply problems.

The problems began on Saturday, with South East Water (SEW) blaming the outage on the impact of Storm Goretti and a power outage at the pumping station.

On Tuesday, the company said about 25,000 customers were still without water or experiencing intermittent water supply.

Ulcombe Church of England in Kent was also affected, as were East Grinstead schools Sackville School, Imberhorne, Estcots Primary, Ashurst Primary and The Meads Primary.

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An apologetic SEW said on its website Wednesday morning that there were 12 ongoing outages on its network.

The BBC asked the water company how many customers were still affected.

The primary school in Ulcombe said students would be provided with online learning, while other schools also urged parents to contact them for updates.

Many schools in the districts were also closed on Monday and Tuesday due to lack of water.

The Abergavenny Arms pub in Frant says it fears it could “explode” if water problems continue.

“It is killing our small businesses,” a spokesman added.

The pub said it had been without water since Sunday morning and had to throw away nearly £500 worth of food.

It was stated that it was said that water would be restored by Friday.

Incident manager Matthew Dean previously said some of the problems were linked to recent cold weather, followed by leaks and bursts that led to the area’s drinking water storage tanks running low.

water regulator Ofwat says it is concerned It was informed about supply problems amid calls for SEW to take action again.

Some MPs are also calling for SEW boss David Hinton, who earns a basic salary of £400,000 and is paid a bonus of £115,000 in 2025, to step down or be sacked.

Five bottle stations were open in East Grinstead, Tunbridge Wells and Maidstone on Tuesday.

On Monday, Kent County Council leader Linden Kemkaran wrote that a “major incident” had been declared in X.

Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead also said some appointments may need to be held virtually.

SEW has been contacted for further information.