Stories

Fri, 01 May 2026

Fri, 01 May 2026 South East Water chair resigns after critical report

It comes after a group of MPs declared that they had no confidence in the company's leadership.
The chair of South East Water (SEW) has resigned after a critical report into supply issues that left thousands of homes without water. A cross-party group of MPs have expressed no confidence in SEW's leadership and called for the CEO, David Hinton, to quit over his £115,000 bonus last year. An independent report described the company's leadership as an "unaccountable clique" and found that they had failed to address multiple and ongoing failures. The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee said SEW's poor leadership and weak governance led to supply disruptions affecting 24,000 customers in Kent and East Sussex, with some households going without water for days. SEW has promised to double its investment in the water supply network over the next five years and plans to strengthen resilience and transform the company. However, MPs are calling for Hinton's resignation and have urged shareholders to take action. The committee said SEW appeared "shielded from the consequences of its incompetence" and that a new leadership team is needed to address the issues. The report also criticized SEW's communication during the Tunbridge Wells incident, including incorrect information about bottled water stations. Regulator Ofwat has proposed a fine of up to £22.46m for SEW over failures linked to the incident. MPs have expressed concerns that SEW poses a "clear and present danger" to public health and that the company's leadership needs to change.