Businesses in Tunbridge Wells are calling on shoppers and local residents to support them in the run up to the festive season.
Forecasts predict the town's businesses will suffer combined losses of a potential £20m - providing South East Water restores the normal water supply with the 10 days they have stated.
They are calling upon shoppers and those visiting the town for entertainment or social reasons to support their businesses in the busy run up to Christmas and across the festive period.
This comes as Tunbridge Wells MP Mike Martin is calling for an £18.5 million Covid-style emergency fund to support traders hit by the crisis.
"We need YOUR support to help local businesses recover from missing out on one of the busiest weeks of trading in the year and to help them get through the early part of 2026," the business organisation Royal Tunbridge Wells (RTW) Together has posted on social media.
Help local businesses recover
As the mains water dried up, many of the town's businesses were forced to close or greatly restrict their activities - in many cases for several days at what should have been one of the most profitable weeks of the year.
The continuing water quality issue means local businesses - like thousands of local residents - must boil water or use bottled water for drinking and food preparation.
"Tunbridge Wells businesses have suffered over the last week due to factors beyond our control," says RTW Together. "Please help us now to ensure our local businesses can be here next year. Shop local, drink local, book tables to eat local, buy vouchers and help us to keep Tunbridge Wells Trading."
RTW Together is inviting people to share the hashtag #keeptunbridgewellstrading via their social media posts to support the town.
The organisation lists ways in which local people and visitors can help. These include: shop local, buy a voucher, book a table, order a takeaway, invite friends to the town and pay for one more, as well as write reviews on social media and liking, sharing and following posts.
- Listen to a round up of last week's water crisis developments as broadcast on West Kent Radio.
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