Water Bosses Questioned Over January Outages Affecting Sussex Homes

Senior figures from South East Water have faced questions from councillors over widespread supply outages that left thousands of homes without water earlier this year.

Appearing before Wealden District Council’s scrutiny committee, chief executive David Hinton said the disruption in January was caused by a combination of freezing conditions and Storm Goretti.

Burst pipes during a freeze-thaw period, along with storm-related issues at the Barcombe treatment works, led to a significant drop in water supply.

Around 25,000 properties were affected across the region, including about 4,000 in Wealden between 10 and 14 January.

Power outages and deteriorating water quality in the River Ouse — caused by heavy rainfall washing debris into the system — also contributed to the problem.

Councillors raised concerns about the company’s infrastructure and past performance, pointing to previous outages and regulatory action.

In response, South East Water outlined plans for increased investment, including upgrades to treatment works and measures to boost resilience during extreme weather.

The company is also developing a long-term drought prevention scheme, which could see water transferred between reservoirs in Sussex, with construction of an underground pipeline currently expected to begin in 2028.

However, councillors questioned whether the plans go far enough in the face of climate change and future housing growth, with the company acknowledging further discussions will be needed to ensure supply can meet rising demand.