Thousands of properties across parts of East Sussex were left without normal water supplies or experiencing very low pressure after a fault at a water treatment works and a complex leak repair on Wednesday.
What happened
South East Water (SEW) said its high-lift pumps stopped working at a local treatment works while engineers were conducting a network connection and carrying out a complex leak repair. The loss of pumping capacity, combined with high demand during the recent hot, dry weather, caused drinking water storage levels to fall to very low levels for households on higher ground.
"Due to a complex leak repair and network connection, our high-lift pumps stopped working at our water treatment works, which impacted the ability to pump water to Heathfield, Sandy Cross and the surrounding areas,"
Scale and areas affected
SEW estimated that around 2,200 properties on higher ground in the Heathfield area and about 4,145 properties in the Sandy Cross area were affected. The company said an incident reported in Horam on Wednesday evening has since been resolved.
| Area | Approximate properties affected |
|---|---|
| Heathfield (high ground) | 2,200 |
| Sandy Cross | 4,145 |
Company response and support for customers
SEW apologised to customers who remained affected on Thursday and said it expected supplies to return by early afternoon. For customers on the company's priority services register, bottled water delivery was being arranged. In addition, the firm opened bottle collection points to help those needing immediate supplies.
- Bottle collection locations: Heathfield Community Centre (Sheepsetting Lane), Mill Road car park and Tower recreation ground (Tower Street).
- Priority customers were offered direct bottled water delivery.
- SEW teams were working on restoring pumping and network connections.
Local experiences and wider context
Residents reported concerns about low flow and the time taken for water to reach taps, with one household receiving a bottled delivery late on Wednesday night. Problems with airlocks in cisterns and slow fill rates were among the practical worries voiced by locals.
The disruption comes as the firm begins work under a new chief executive, who started on Thursday after regulatory approval. The incident follows recent criticism of the company's operational performance.
Anyone still affected should check SEW's service updates and contact the company if they are on the priority services register or need assistance. Local centres supplying bottled water have been named by the company for those who can collect supplies themselves.
This is a developing situation and InfoRadar will provide updates as more information becomes available from South East Water and local authorities.
