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Mon, 22 Jun 2026

Mon, 22 Jun 2026 South East Water announces new chief executive

John Halsall has previously worked for Thames Water, South West Water and Network Rail.
Halsall said his priorities are responding to customers' immediate concerns and delivering short-term improvements. He plans to deliver the company's largest ever investment programme of £2.1bn to improve reliability and resilience in the long term. Tunbridge Wells MP Mike Martin welcomed Halsall's appointment, stating that bringing in leadership from outside the organisation is necessary after years of "managed decline". Regulator Ofwat has proposed fining SEW £22m over issues affecting 286,000 people in Kent and Sussex between 2020 and 2023. The company faces major infrastructure challenges and recently raised prices by an average of 7% from April. SEW's debt stands at £1.3bn and it serves tens of thousands of customers who have experienced water supply failures and low pressure incidents.