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Kent and East Sussex villages see water supplies begin to return

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South East Water says a number of repairs have been made but reservoirs need to be refilled before supplies return

People in a number of villages in Kent and East Sussex continue to be without water, or have low pressure.

South East Water said it has been having ongoing issues with its water supply for about 10 days, especially during the recent heatwave.

Properties in Challock and Molash first saw disruption to water supplies on 16 July.

Due to a drop in reservoir levels, the pump which supplies the area had to be switched off again on Sunday night.

In a statement on its website South East Water said: "In the South East we're currently facing a number of challenges to supply water to your taps, caused by the weather, high demand for water and burst pipes."

The company said customers in Challock and Molash "should have a water supply".

Bottled water remains in place at Challock Village Hall as a precaution, the firm added.

Burst pipes

Some customers in Wadhurst, Robertsbridge and Etchingham have also experienced issues following two burst pipes on Sunday.

South East Water said: "We have redirected water around the network to help restore some supplies in the area.

"Meanwhile, we are continuing to restore water for the remainder of the customers who are without supplies."

A bottled water station at Corner Farm Close, Flimwell is due to remain open until 21:00 BST, the company said.

Supplies in Coxheath, Loose, Ulcombe, Headcorn were affected after two burst pipes.

Properties in Coxheath remain without water while storage tanks in the area are refilled, South East Water said.

"As soon as we're able to turn the pumps on, which will restore supplies, we will," the company said.

It added that a new bottled water station would be open at Coxheath Village Hall until 21:00 BST and at New Line Learning Academy in Boughton Lane.

In West Kingsdown most supplies have been restored, but some people are experiencing low pressure due to airlocks in the system, South East Water said.

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