South East Water is set to be fined, but MP Mike Martin says it's "ineffective".
South East Water is facing a £22m fine by the industry regulator for "multiple supply disruptions" that caused "immense stress and anxiety". Ofwat said company failures left it unable to cope during periods of high demand or extreme weather, leaving customers with no tap water, unable to shower or bathe, or flush their toilets.
The proposed fine applies to problems during 2020 and 2023 that affected more than 286,000 people and does not cover more recent incidents which left thousands of homes without water. In response, South East Water said it had filed for a judicial review of Ofwat's draft decision and sought an injunction, which was rejected by the court.
The proposed fine from Ofwat is in relation to water outages between 2020 and 2023 and does not cover more recent incidents which left thousands of households in Tunbridge Wells without a supply of drinking water.
Tunbridge Wells MP Mike Martin has called the proposed £22 million fine "ineffective" and "three years late" while urging the Government to put the water company into special administration to force immediate investment.
Working alongside water experts, the Tunbridge Wells MP has also developed and costed a £50 million investment plan for Pembury Water Treatment Works that would make the plant compliant and resolve the water outage problems. £50 million is roughly the sum of the amount South East Water paid out in compensation for the December water outage in Tunbridge Wells plus Ofwat’s proposed fine.
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