Kent (Parliament Politics Magazine) January 12, 2026 – Authorities declared a major incident after water supply failures left approximately 30,000 properties without water or facing low pressure across Kent and Sussex. Both Southern Water and South East Water attributed disruptions to Storm Goretti, power cuts at pumping plants, and burst mains from freeze-thaw conditions.
Environment Agency Minister Mary Bagley called the situation “entirely unacceptable,” with schools closed, hospitals shifting to virtual appointments, and bottled water stations established at multiple sites.
The Kent and Medway Resilience Forum invoked major incident status under the Civil Contingencies Act to coordinate resources from local councils, the Environment Agency, and the national government. This followed outages reported since January 10, affecting households from early morning. South East Water noted operational difficulties, including depleted reservoirs after Southern Water temporarily halted supplies of over 20 million litres daily.
Cityintel, a verified account for real-time global security alerts, shared an early overview on X,
“On January 12, 2026, the Kent and Medway Resilience Forum declared a “major incident” as approximately 30,000 properties across Kent and Sussex were left without water or with low pressure. Significant outages are concentrated in #TunbridgeWells, #Maidstone, #Canterbury, and #Whitstable in #Kent, as well as #EastGrinstead and surrounding areas in #West Sussex.
The crisis has forced the closure of numerous schools and public libraries. In #EastGrinstead, the Queen Victoria Hospital shifted some appointments to virtual formats due to the lack of supply. Water Distribution: Bottled water stations have been established at several locations, including Kings Centre and East Grinstead Sports Club in Sussex, and Tunbridge Wells Rugby Club and Headcorn Aerodrome in Kent.
The winter storm caused power cuts at pumping plants and created “river water quality issues,” making it difficult to treat raw water at standard rates.”
On January 12, 2026, the Kent and Medway Resilience Forum declared a “major incident” as approximately 30,000 properties across Kent and Sussex were left without water or with low pressure
Significant outages are concentrated in #TunbridgeWells, #Maidstone, #Canterbury, and…
— Cityintel (@Cityintel1) January 12, 2026
Scale of outages and locations affected
(Credit: Phil Harrison/BBC)
Outages spanned postcodes in Tunbridge Wells, Maidstone, Canterbury, Whitstable, East Grinstead, and surrounding areas in Kent and West Sussex.
South East Water reported 11 postcodes with little to no supply, while Southern Water noted risks in Thanet, Sittingbourne, and Medway despite current flows. Residents in Hollingbourne, Headcorn, Medway villages, Wrotham, Addington, West Malling, Wateringbury, and Mereworth experienced intermittent or total loss.
Tunbridge Wells saw 6,500 households disrupted since January 6, with supplies potentially unstable until January 13. Mornings offered normal flow, but afternoons and evenings brought dry taps as demand outstripped pumping capacity. Maidstone and Malling council leader Matt Boughton confirmed impacts in multiple villages, offering council support.
According to Helena Horton of The Guardian, schools closed across affected zones, including Folkestone Academy and primaries in Ashford, alongside public libraries.
Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead moved appointments online. Businesses in hospitality and care rationed water, with GP surgeries postponing non-urgent visits.
Government and ministerial reactions
Environment Minister Mary Bagley visited sites, demanding urgent fixes from water firms.
“Southern Water must get this fixed as a matter of urgency, and we expect a full explanation of what went wrong,”
Bagley told reporters.
She met South East Water executives, expressing her disappointment, adding,
“I’m deeply concerned that water supply issues in parts of Kent and West Sussex have deteriorated, with several areas affected. I’ve just met South East Water to make clear my disappointment and stressed the need for urgent action to restore supplies.”
The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs provided oversight, with Defra confirming extra support.
Tunbridge Wells MP Mike Martin highlighted 16,000 properties affected in East Grinstead alone. Maidstone and Malling MP Helen Grant described South East Water’s response as “appalled” in a Facebook statement. Folkestone and Hythe MP Dame Andrea Jenkyns urged accountability for repeated failures.
As reported by the BBC, Conservative MP Mims Davies calls on South East Water CEO David Hinton to “consider his position” as she inspects water distribution in East Grinstead.
She added,
“I think it is getting to the point that it is very hard with this leadership, with Dave at the helm, for this to continue, that he can have the confidence of my constituents. I’m starting to feel that perhaps the confidence in him and their ability as a leadership team under him is under serious scrutiny.”
Kent County Council set up five bottled water points by midday, prioritising vulnerable residents. British Red Cross volunteers delivered door-to-door in rural spots. Fire services advised against non-essential use to preserve supplies.
Water companies’ explanations and repair efforts
South East Water’s incident manager explained that Southern Water’s supply halt depleted reservoirs. Burst mains from freeze-thaw worsened storage levels, compounded by Storm Goretti’s impact on treatment works.
The incident manager, Matthew Dean, said,
“We’re sorry to our customers across Kent and Sussex who are experiencing issues with their drinking water supply, including no water, intermittent supply interruptions or low pressure.”
He stated,
“Following the recent cold weather and a subsequent breakout of leaks and bursts across Kent and Sussex, our drinking water storage tanks are running very low and there are currently around 30,000 impacted properties across the two counties.”
“We are incredibly sorry to all customers and businesses who have been impacted by this and we are doing all we can to restore supplies as soon as possible,”
Dean added.
Supplies to East Grinstead and Blean in Maidstone may not stabilise until January 13.
Southern Water reported normal flows in some areas, but precautionary measures post-power outage and Storm Goretti. The company paused Thanet deliveries on January 12 as sites stabilised overnight and topped networks with tankers. No charges apply for affected customers, with automatic Ofwat rebates possible.
Environmental campaigner Feargal Sharkey highlighted chronic issues amid the crisis. Feargal Sharkey said in X post,
“Major incident declared as thousands without water in Kent and Sussex.” Bearing in mind that South East Water leak about 80,000,000 litres of water each and ever day from their badly maintained, underinvested, creaky old network of pipes. That’s enough water to supply about 560,000 homes.”
On January 12, 2026, the Kent and Medway Resilience Forum declared a “major incident” as approximately 30,000 properties across Kent and Sussex were left without water or with low pressure
Significant outages are concentrated in #TunbridgeWells, #Maidstone, #Canterbury, and…
— Cityintel (@Cityintel1) January 12, 2026
Emergency measures and distribution points
(Credit: Gareth Fuller/PA)
Bottled water stations opened at Kings Centre and East Grinstead Sports Club in Sussex, plus Tunbridge Wells Rugby Club and Headcorn Aerodrome in Kent. Supermarkets like Sainsbury’s in Ashford and Tesco in Hythe hosted points.
Southern Water listed collection sites online, urging food-grade storage. UK Health Security Agency monitored for post-restoration boil notices, reporting no widespread health risks.
Hospitals like East Kent Hospitals activated contingencies with stored water. Councils offered business rates relief. Traffic management is applied near works on the A259. Community aid emerged, with neighbours sharing supplies amid queues at Aldi and Morrisons.
Complete list of areas facing water outages
Kent:
- ME13 9AJ – Brickfield Lane, Boughton-under-Blean, Faversham – no water or low pressure (burst main)
- ME14 4PA – Ware Street, Bearsted, Maidstone – repair pending; water main may be turned off later
- ME15 9UD – Loose and surrounding areas – low water/pressure; reservoirs are low due to limited bulk supply
- ME17 1XD – Hollingbourne, Headcorn, Ulcombe, Kingswood, Sutton Valence, and surrounding areas – intermittent supply as reservoirs refill
- TN2 3PZ – Tunbridge Wells – intermittent supply
- TN4 8BG – Mount Ephraim, Tunbridge Wells – no water/low pressure due to supply site issues
- TN11 8BA – Penshurst, Tonbridge – no water/low pressure
- TN15 0PY – Yopps Green, Plaxtol, Sevenoaks – no water/low pressure
- CT2 – Canterbury and surrounding areas – pressure issues at the plant
- CT2 8DL – Ramsey Close, Canterbury – no water/low pressure (emergency repairs)
- CT2 9AA – Harbledown, Blean, Canterbury – pressure issues prevent water pumping
- CT5 2AB – Tankerton Road, Whitstable – no water/low pressure (burst main)
Hampshire:
- GU11 3NU – Legge Crescent, Aldershot – low pressure (burst main)
Sussex:
- RH19 1AW – East Grinstead and surrounding areas – no water or intermittent supply; reservoirs are low
Regulatory response and historical context
Ofwat initiated an inquiry, with chief executive Lynn Sloman pledging accountability. The Drinking Water Inspectorate noted prior Kent complaints. This follows the July 2024 bursts and Ofwat fines of £2.5 million. South East Water faced MP grilling over earlier Tunbridge Wells outages, leaving 24,000 properties dry. Regulators mandated £400 million for pipe renewals under the 2025-2030 plans.
Storm Goretti disrupted treatment rates via river quality issues and power cuts. Ground movement and ageing 1960s infrastructure, serving 2.4 million, face climate pressures.
Folkestone & Hythe District Council called it a “wake-up call” for resilience. Repairs progressed, with partial restoration by afternoon and 80% expected by January 14.
Broader regional disruptions and recovery outlook
(Credit: Eddie Mitchell)
By late afternoon, partial restoration reached 10% of properties, with Southern Water forecasting 80% recovery by January 14 morning. Traffic disruptions occurred near repair sites on the A259, managed by National Highways.
Residents queued at supermarkets, with Aldi and Morrisons reporting stock boosts via emergency deliveries. Social media showed community mutual aid, including neighbours sharing rainwater barrels.
Meteorologists noted heavy overnight rain may complicate excavation, but dry conditions forecast aided progress. Southern Water urged customers to report leaks via its hotline, aiding pressure management.
The incident underscores vulnerabilities in regional water networks, prompting calls for accelerated pipe replacement. As repairs advance, focus shifts to preventing recurrence amid growing demand.