Around 3,500 customers in the Whitstable area began seeing their water supplies return on Friday evening, according to Dean. He said the situation had improved after about 3,500 customers in Whitstable were reported without supply earlier on Friday, when water was expected to come back later that day. Despite the progress, tap water is likely to remain intermittent across the weekend for all customers in the area.
Dean said South East Water (SEW) had distributed 339,972 bottles of water at bottled water stations across Kent and would continue identifying new locations for support. The company has been managing supply disruptions affecting multiple communities and has urged customers to use water only for essential purposes while the network recovers.
He also confirmed that around 165 customers in Cranbrook were still without supply because the drinking water storage tanks serving those areas had reached a critical level. SEW said the issue was linked to the strain on local storage and supply systems.
In addition, approximately 10,500 customers were experiencing low pressure or an intermittent supply in Benenden, Coxheath, Loose, Headcorn and Herne Bay. These areas have continued to face restricted water service as the company works to stabilize the network and restore normal pressure.
SEW said it is continuing efforts to support affected households and expand access to bottled water where needed. The utility has maintained that supply may remain inconsistent through the weekend, even in areas where service has started to return, as system pressures recover gradually.
The company’s update indicates that while some progress has been made, the wider disruption across parts of Kent is not yet fully resolved. Customers in Whitstable, Cranbrook and several surrounding communities are being asked to conserve water and limit usage to essential needs until the situation improves.
SEW has continued to monitor conditions closely and says it remains focused on restoring supply and pressure to affected customers as quickly as possible.
