General · 5 March 2026
South East Water fined millions for repeated supply failures
The water regulator Ofwat has imposed a £22 million penalty on South East Water following severe supply interruptions across Kent and Sussex. Between 2020 and 2023, approximately 286,000 customers faced water shortages due to the company's failure to maintain infrastructure and plan for high demand. The watchdog criticised the firm for its disorganised response and inability to support vulnerable households during the outages. A separate investigation into more recent supply issues is currently underway.
Reported by Sky News · How we write briefs