Water Supply in Kent latest update

Update 9pm Sunday 11 January

Our teams are working across the region to manage ongoing potential water supply issues in Thanet, Sittingbourne, Medway Towns, and surrounding areas, following a recent power outage. and Storm Goretti. We are doing everything we can to keep your water flowing and are taking all precautionary steps to protect your supply and we want to reassure customers this is currently working.

There is currently no loss of supply for Southern Water customers in Kent.

Medway and Boxley

Teams are also out working on site at Matts Hill to safely restart operations gradually. Through these efforts, we have delayed any direct impact to customers, but the risk remains for properties in Boxley and parts of Medway (including Chatham, Rochester, Walderslade, Lordswood, Gillingham, Rainham, Hempstead, and Bredhurst) as demand is high right now. We are also supporting South East Water as they support their customers across Kent.

Thanet, Sittingbourne and surrounding areas

Reservoir levels at Fleete and Cromers Wood are improving and, at the moment, water is running as normal from your taps. Although there is still a risk of supply disruption for some properties, we are working hard to minimise any impact.

Taking precautionary action now

In the unlikely event any water supply is affected, we are putting plans in place to provide alternative water. As a precaution, we have teams out delivering bottled water to customers on our Priority Services Register in the affected areas.

If a wider customer supply issue occurs, bottled water stations will be opened as needed and we will provide information on locations here on this page.

Need extra support?
Join our Priority Services Register so we can help with your individual needs. Find out more and apply here.

Our teams will continue working overnight and we will update this page with the latest tomorrow morning.

Update 12.30pm Sunday 11 January

Your water supply is flowing as normal

There is currently no loss of supply for Southern Water customers in Kent.

Recent events – Storm Goretti, freezing conditions, and a power outage in parts of Kent – have lowered levels in some drinking water storage reservoirs. This means there’s a higher risk of supply issues in the coming days, but we’re taking action now to do all we can to prevent that.

What we’re doing:

• Moving water around our network and using tankers to keep supplies stable.
• Delivering bottled water to customers on our Priority Services Register in areas most at risk, as a precaution.

Here’s what’s happening locally:

Medway & Boxley

• Heavy rain has made water too cloudy to treat (this is called “high turbidity”).
• We’re working 24/7 to fix this and keep taps flowing.
• No impact to customers right now.
• Bottled water delivered to Priority Services Register customers as a precaution.

Thanet

• A power outage last night affected sites that supply Fleete drinking water storage reservoir near Manston.
• No impact to customers right now.
• Bottled water deliveries started this morning, as a precaution, for Priority Services Register customers in Ramsgate, Margate, Broadstairs, Birchington, and Westgate-on-Sea.

Sittingbourne & surrounding areas

• The same power outage also affected Cromers Wood drinking water storage reservoir.
• No impact to customers right now.
• Bottled water delivered overnight as a precaution to Priority Services Register customers in Sittingbourne, Iwade, Borden, Bobbing, Kemsley, and nearby villages.

Need extra support?
Join our Priority Services Register so we can help with your individual needs. Find out more and apply here.

We’ll keep this page updated with the latest information.