Kent Care Home Faces Crisis Without Water

Hartley House, a care home in Cranbrook, has been experiencing a severe water outage for the past five days. Staff are resorting to using bottled water for all resident hygiene needs, including showers, and for hydration. This situation is particularly challenging for the more than 50 residents, many of whom have dementia and do not understand the disruption to their routine.

The care home's kitchen is also significantly impacted, with chef Alexio boiling bottled water for cooking, cleaning, and dishwashing for approximately 70 residents and staff daily. This reliance on bottled water poses a substantial strain on operations and the well-being of vulnerable individuals.

South East Water reports that over 600 customers in the Wraik Hill area of Kent are still without water, with thousands more facing low pressure. The company has advised customers to use water only for essential purposes as network recovery continues and storage tank levels remain low. Bottled water stations and tankers are being utilized to support affected areas.

This crisis follows a period of heatwave conditions where temperatures exceeded 30C, exacerbating the water supply issues. The Ashford MP, Sojan Joseph, has voiced strong criticism of South East Water, citing 'repeated failures' and a lack of investment in necessary infrastructure. He has requested action from DEFRA.