Stories

Fri, 08 May 2026

Fri, 08 May 2026 South East Water boss quits after supply failures

David Hinton faced criticism after outages affected tens of thousands of people in Kent and Sussex.
David Hinton, CEO of South East Water, has resigned amidst criticism over severe supply issues that affected tens of thousands of people. The decision was taken after a damning select committee report highlighted poor leadership and weak governance within the company. Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds welcomed the resignation, saying it must mark the beginning of positive change at South East Water where customers' needs are prioritized. The company's chairman, Chris Train, resigned last week over the same issues. Hinton will remain in post until an orderly transition is completed, but MPs have called for a quick handover to ensure that the problems do not continue. The regulator Ofwat is investigating the company and consulting on a £22m fine for separate supply disruptions between 2020 and 2023.