Message from South East Water: Heatwave

We’re going into another heatwave this week and we want to make sure the taps keep flowing for everyone. We need your help to do this. 

Please use water for essential purposes only: hygiene, drinking and cooking.

Why are we asking you to help?

Right now the demand for water is of course higher due to the weather.  On 21st June the total amount of water we treated and put into the network was 644 million litres, that’s 56 million more than the average for June.  It’s likely that figure will rise further with hotter weather forecast for later this week. 

We want to be honest with you. 

To help meet this demand we have: 

• All possible Water Treatment Works operating 24/7
• Increased the teams fixing bursts and leaks to save more water
• Re-routed water around the network
• Tankered in more water
• Filled drinking water storage tanks as much as we can
• Managed pressure across the network

However, when demand is as high as this or higher on consecutive days, we struggle to supply everyone.  Those living at the far end of our pipeline network or on higher ground can see their taps run completely dry. 

We know we need to improve this and build more resilience into the network to cope with the changing climate and more frequent heatwaves, and we will.  Building this infrastructure takes time and it’s not all in place yet. 

This means for now we need your help. 

Every change you make has a real impact on keeping the taps flowing for your neighbours and local communities. 

How you can help

Simple swaps can make a huge difference to help keep the taps flowing for everyone and prevent further measures.

• Pause all hose use
• Only use water for hygiene, drinking and cooking
• Don’t refill paddling pools or hot tubs
• Don’t use a jet washer

How long will this be for?

This is temporary, just while we get through this latest heatwave.  The more people who can help, the better for your area – so please spread the word to friends and neighbours!  

Thank you!

We understand you are frustrated and we are sincerely sorry, especially to the thousands of customers who experienced real difficulty, distress and hardship when water supplies were interrupted a few weeks ago. 

We’re committed to doing better, including how we communicate.  That’s why we wanted to be upfront and honest about the current situation.