Residents feel 'defeated' by ongoing water issue

Customers will be able to access a bottled water station in Chestfield

About 500 properties in an area of Kent are still facing water supply issues for a fourth day in a row.

On Wednesday, South East Water said up to 3,000 customers in Whitstable, Seasalter and surrounding areas had no water or low pressure due to the recent heatwave.

Callum Brockhurst, 33, who lives in Kimberley Grove, said he and other residents felt "totally defeated" by the ongoing situation and it was "affecting people's physical and mental health now".

South East Water incident manager Nick Bell said: "We recognise how frustrating it is that we're unable to give a time as to when supplies will be restored."

Mr Brockhurst added: "There's has been a lack of communication from South East Water except telling us they are sorry for the disruption."

He said the bottled station was nearly four miles (6.4km) away from his home

"It's not easy for people to access water and we don't drive," he said.

"We were given 12 two-litre bottles outside our house, which isn't enough to drink, cook with, clean dishes, clean clothes and clean ourselves with."

Another resident, Judy Mortimore, told Radio Kent she and her family had been unable to wash the dishes, clothes and shower.

"My son is at least able to have a shower at the gym he regularly goes to," she said.

Ms Mortimore said she was using the water she had saved in the garden water butt for the toilet.

"There's only a finite amount of water because there hasn't been a lot of rain lately," she said.

"We're only flushing the toilet when it's absolutely necessary, which isn't ideal especially in the hot weather."

Labour councillor Naomi Smith, representing Seasalter, told Radio Kent: "People told me they have been going down the beach to fill their buckets with sea water to flush their loos."

'Trying every solution'

Mr Bell added South East Water was "extremely sorry" to impacted customers who were still experiencing no water or low pressure on Saturday and the team had "worked through the night to find new solutions".

Shortly after 17:30, South East Water said about 500 properties in the area were still having issues that were expected to continue throughout the night.

Mr Bell said: "We are trying every solution we can and now have more teams working around the clock to restore supplies as quickly as possible."

South East Water explained that removing airlocks from its pipes and getting water flowing again was taking longer than expected.

Bottled water stations at Sainsbury's in Reeves Way, Chestfield, and in Faversham Road in Seasalter, were set to stay open until 21:00.

A leak on Whitstable High Street outside The Two Brewers pub was also due to be repaired overnight.