Company renews urgent plea to save water

A renewed urgent plea has been issued to residents to reduce water usage, with South East Water reporting nearly 700 million litres of water was used in a single day.

The company has asked customers to restrict water usage for "essential purposes only" which are drinking, washing and cooking.

Meanwhile, some customers have been asking the company to prioritise fixing water leaks.

The company said it supplied nearly one billion litres more water in the last two weeks compared with June 2022 - with Monday being the highest usage of 680 million litres in June.

Donovan Norris, a South East Water customer, said a leak on Maidstone Road in Borough Green in Kent had been going on for a fortnight.

He said: "I can't believe they ask us to restrict water use when problems like this aren't fixed."

Amy Scouler, who lives nearby, said she was "annoyed at getting splashed by the vehicles as she walks past".

She said: "We take all of their advice about conserving water, not running taps, using water butts for the garden or flushing loos as much but they can't even fix a simple leaky pipe.

"They need to get priorities straight."

Nick Price, head of water resources at South East Water, told BBC Radio Kent: "We are aware of this leak and repair works are scheduled in for Thursday.

"We are putting more resources into fixing leaks than we have ever done before."

South East Water says it is "treating and pumping as much as it possibly can to replenish treated water storage tanks".

It also advises residents to:

• Water plants with grey water as soil and compost is a natural filter for soap suds
• Use water from dehumidifiers and tumble dryers too
• Collect clean, cold water while waiting for it to heat up which can be used to water the garden.

A spokesperson for the company says there were 16 days in a row where demand was higher than average for June.

Southern Water said its daily demand in June this year was higher than normal - compared to its usual average of 592 million litres of water used a day.

Managing director for Southern Water Tim McMahon said the UK's "driest spring" for more than 100 years and the hot summer so far meant there was "more pressure" on water resources.

"We really need our customers to help us keep taps flowing during this hot weather, by using water wisely," he said.

"Small changes can make a real difference, like taking shorter showers, turning off the tap when you brush your teeth, and letting lawns go brown."

Follow BBC Kent on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected] or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.