Water Woes: Trust Washed Away by SEW Outages

Consumer trust in South East Water (SEW) has been severely eroded by supply outages that occurred in November and December of 2025, and again in January 2026. A report by the Consumer Council for Water (CCW) revealed that more than half of customers surveyed now store bottled water as a precaution against future incidents. Almost a fifth of respondents exclusively drink bottled water due to a lack of faith in tap water quality.

The incidents disproportionately affected vulnerable customers, families, and older individuals, causing severe consequences. One customer described a constant sense of anxiety, questioning daily whether water would be available. These events led to significant behavioral changes, including extensive home water storage and a reluctance to use tap water for basic needs like showering.

Investigations by Ofwat are underway to determine if SEW breached its license conditions regarding customer service. The company has faced proposed fines and is being scrutinized for its support during the late 2025 and early 2026 outages. SEW has apologized and stated it is taking direct action to improve emergency procedures, infrastructure, and customer communication.

SEW customers experienced extended periods without water, affecting essential daily routines. For instance, a boil water notice was issued for nine days following a pre-Christmas outage. A subsequent incident in January impacted 30,000 households and businesses after Storm Goretti. The CCW report highlighted inconsistent support for vulnerable customers and inadequate communication during these crises.