Water crisis in Tunbridge Wells leave residents without drinkable water for five days

KentOnline / KMTV

A recurring chemical issue at the Pembury Treatment Plant near Tunbridge Wells has left supplies undrinkable, prompting authorities to declare what they're calling a 'public health crisis'.

Transcript

00:00Joy to the wells, but the wells are empty.

00:03Thousands of properties across Tunbridge Wells now hit day five of no running water.

00:09A bad batch of chemicals caused Pembury's treatment work site to shut down on Saturday

00:13and now around 24,000 residents are still without water in Tunbridge Wells.

00:19Residents and businesses were told this morning that supplies would be returned,

00:23but they will have to boil the water before drinking.

00:25I haven't had water since Saturday.

00:30And they kept saying, you know, I'm on the third day.

00:32It's going to be back, but no water, no bath, nothing in the toilet.

00:37I've just got the big box of water this morning from my taxi driver

00:42and I have now been using small boxes, pushing them in,

00:45because I can carry them with a taxi.

00:47I think it is absolutely diabolical and that the bloke that works for South East Water should be fired,

00:53especially as he's taken in 400,000 a year.

00:56We didn't actually realise until we got here that there was one.

01:00And since coming here, we've not been able to get a coffee or a lunch.

01:05It's unfortunate because we did not realise we probably wouldn't have come.

01:10The majority of businesses in the town centre were not open,

01:13a simple sign saying, sorry, not open, on their door.

01:17But residents aren't the only ones frustrated about the issue.

01:20At the moment, we're in crisis management mode.

01:23So the first thing is making sure that the communications are clear from South East Water,

01:28which they're not.

01:28They're still not clear about what's going on.

01:31And then the second thing is making sure that, you know,

01:34the operation or the crisis is being managed properly.

01:36So, for instance, these toilets behind us have been put in there by the Borough Council.

01:40We've pushed South East Water to put them in for days and they haven't come in.

01:43So the Borough Council, who've been excellent,

01:45have just taken the initiative and put them in themselves.

01:47And this means that the shops can open because this is obviously one of the busiest shopping periods of the year.

01:52So we need to be able to get the shops open.

01:53So at the moment, it's real crisis management mode.

01:57In the meantime, residents can access bottled water stations throughout Tunbridge Wells.

02:02Maisie Walker for KMTV, Tunbridge Wells.

Category

Transcript

Be the first to comment

Recommended