Kent and East Sussex properties remain without water

Properties in Kent and East Sussex remain without water for a second day after a treatment works had to be shut down.

Two schools and a nursery are closed after a power cut on Friday led to 8,000 homes and businesses being left without water on Monday.

South East Water said water is returning but at a lower pressure than normal.

It said it was aware of reports of discoloured and brown water.

This is "normal" after a period of no water passing through the pipework and is "completely harmless", the water company said.

Caroline Bromley, the headteacher of Lamberhurst St Mary's primary school, said: "The children couldn't quite believe it. I said 'remember last week when we couldn't come to school because there's too much water, I'm sorry we're going to have to go home because we've now got no water.'

"They were looking at each other in amazement really, that we're in the 21st Century and water is controlling us in this way."

A bottled water station in Hawkhurst will remain open as a precaution, South East Water said.

The water company added that "it will take time" to refill the entire network as drinking water storage reservoirs were completely drained.

They said the fault was caused by a power failure which damaged equipment at a water treatment site.

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