CCW calls for thorough investigation into handling of Tunbridge Wells disruption
CCW has called for a thorough investigation to be carried out into the handling of an incident which has left thousands of homes and businesses without water across Tunbridge Wells for the past five days.
In its latest update on Wednesday morning, South East Water confirmed it was introducing a boil water notice for around 24,000 properties which have been affected by the disruption.
This means households can use water for essential tasks like flushing toilets or showering, but it must be boiled before being used for cooking and drinking.
The disruption has been caused by a recurring issue with water quality at Pembury Water Treatment Works.
Responding to the on-going disruption, Mike Keil, Chief Executive of the Consumer Council for Water (CCW), said:
Customers’ upset over the continuing disruption is palpable and South East Water’s communication has left many people confused and compounded their frustration. People have a right to expect clear, open and timely updates from their water company when they have suffered significant disruption to their lives.
While we understand this is a complex incident, there should be a thorough investigation into how it has been handled and we want to be involved from the outset. Customers in and around Tunbridge Wells have seen their water bills rise significantly this year and in return they expect to see the service improve – not get worse. There are now much stronger protections in place through the Guaranteed Standards Scheme for customers who experience service failures and this case highlights why those improvements were so urgently needed.