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Tue, 14 Jul 2026

Tue, 14 Jul 2026 South East Water must pay £30.5m for supply failures

Regulator Ofwat confirms this penalty follows three investigations into the water company.

* South East Water has been ordered to spend £30.5m on improvements after repeated failures in supplying water to customers across Kent and Sussex.
* The company's shareholders will pay for the redress package, not through customer bills.
* The package includes: + £5m for free water butts for households + £5m to bring forward smart metering to businesses and other non-household customers + £5m for on-site storage to help manage supply during peak demand
* Ofwat has found that South East Water did not provide affected customers with adequate bottled water supplies.
* The company's performance improvement plan will be reviewed by an independent monitor appointed by Ofwat.
* South East Water must also pay for the independent monitor, which is not included in the £30.5m enforcement package.
* Helen Campbell, executive director of delivery at Ofwat, said: "South East Water must now focus on what matters most, its customers."