Southern Water is continuing to deliver bottled water to customers on its priority register and says water supplies in Thanet could potentially be affected on Tuesday (January 13).
Water deliveries began after a power outage at Southern Water supply works last night (January 10).
UK Power Networks experienced a power outage which affected key Water Supply Works (WSW), including Selling WSW and Wingham WSW.
Both of these sites produce water that helps fill up the Fleete Reservoir in Manston.
With Kent already experiencing high water demand recently, the power outage, combined with Storm Goretti and the freeze/thaw weather, has had an impact on a number of Southern Water reservoir levels across the region.
Southern Water says customers in Thanet are not currently impacted, and taps are flowing as normal. However, as a precautionary measure, they have made the deliveries to customers on the Priority Services Register who are supplied by the Fleete Reservoir.
Deliveries are taking place across 24 towns, including Ramsgate, Margate, Broadstairs, Birchington and Westgate-on-Sea.
Potential impact
The Selling and Wingham Water Supply Works have been running throughout today and the reservoir levels at Fleete are improving. While reservoir levels are lower than usual, it will increase day by day if the sites run as normal.
However, Southern Water says supply disruption for approximately 76,000 properties across Thanet remains a risk, although work on site and on the water network has delayed customer impact.
The firm adds: “There is a slight deficit in terms of supply and demand, and we are also supporting South East Water while they face challenges across Kent.
“Current projections are potential customer impact on Tuesday 13 January, but the situation is improving as long as our sites continue running.
“If we do see customer impact, we have plans in place to provide alternative water.
“As a precaution, we started delivering bottled water to customers on our Priority Services Register across Thanet. We’ve completed 35% of deliveries so far.
“If you are concerned about a vulnerable customer who needs access to bottled water as a priority, they can call us on 0330 303 0368.
“If needed, we’ve also identified three bottled water stations across Thanet, where customers could collect supplies if their supply was impacted. If stations are required, we will advise of their locations immediately.”
A Kent Water Supply website page can be founbd at: https://www.southernwater.co.uk/latest-news/water-supply-in-kent/
Becky Wing posted a copy of an email from Southern Water.
Although supplies to the Flete reservoir have been slightly impacted by recent power outage. levels are recovering, and it is not anticipated that residents will be impacted.
See the link to Southern Water.
Southern Water-constantly whining about people wasting water, yet they are giving bottles of it away to people who don’t have any water issues yet & likely will not!
No bigger waste than the leaks in the system which they continually fail to repair.
Saw a delivery yesterday to the Yacht Club. Not knowing anything about UK Power Networks failure or SW delivering water it was as if there was a phantom water deliverer. I wonder why the steps of the Yacht Club benefitted?
is it surprising re supply it was bad enough before all the house building in the surrouding areas, whats going to happen in the summer trying to supply everyone
AND THIS IS WHAT WE PAY OUR BILLS FOR?
Isn’t it amazing that the water companies for Kent are stating there is a large demand for supply, apart from residents wishing to wash, shower, fill kettles, flush toilets business needing to fill kettles and flush toilets, (how dare they want to do these things? Oh yes they are paying over the top for a sub standard service) there are builders requiring large quantities of water on the new build homes sites, and residents moving into these homes are also increasing demand. Is there no assessment, forward planning or at least a modicum of common sense? All our utility service suppliers have a lot to answer for, over inflated prices for the poorest of service delivery.
Poor water supply and yet another increase of £3 monthly to my Direct Debit from February.