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Sojan Joseph, the MP for Ashford, Hawkinge, and the Villages, has today criticised South East Water over its repeated failure to deliver basic standards of customer service for his constituents, saying he has “lost all faith” in the water company.
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The Ashford MP has written to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, asking the Secretary of State, Emma Reynolds MP, to take action.
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Around 4,000 South East Water customers in Mr Joseph’s constituency have been affected, either having no water, shortages, or low pressure (according to South East Water’s figures).
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This latest shortage follows on from a Temporary Use Ban (TUB), when South East Water customers in Mr Joseph’s constituency and the wider Kent area were restricted from using hosepipes from summer 2025 until February 2026, and the shortages faced by thousands of residents in nearby Tunbridge Wells.
Sojan Joseph MP for Ashford, Hawkinge, and the Villages, said:
“I have completely lost faith in South East Water – they have repeatedly failed to improve standards for customers in my constituency and across Kent.“South East Water have not invested in the necessary infrastructure and, as a result, have failed to ensure they do not face shortages at times of high demand – this time just after a couple of days of warm weather.“I completely understand the frustration of residents. I have written to DEFRA to ask the Secretary of State to take action and have been maintaining contact with South East Water on behalf of my constituents to stay on top of the detail.“I am pleased the Government has taken steps, such as the Water Act and the new White Paper, to improve the standards of water; however, this will take time to come into effect.”
NOTES
Letter to Secretary of State for Environment Food and Rural Affairs From Sojan Joseph MP
Dear Emma,I hope this letter finds you well.I am writing to you on behalf of the residents across Kent, including the 4,000 constituents of mine, who have been facing an ongoing water shortage due to South East Water to ask your Department to take action through coordinated efforts with OFWAT, the Environment Agency, and local authorities to assist my constituents who either have had no water, are facing shortages, or low water pressure for just under a week – which South East Water are reporting is down to increased usage during this heatwave. I find this especially concerning as we are not even in the summer.This more recent issue, faced by many of my constituents, is on top of the problems faced by wider Kent residents, such as those in Tunbridge Wells who were out of water for weeks over last winter. As a result residents there have been forced to either use boiled or bottled water and have been unable to perform basic tasks, such as washing or flushing toilets. As I am sure you are aware the issues in Tunbridge Wells, eventually led to the resignation of South East Water’s then-CEO.Residents across Kent have gone without basic essentials, such as clean drinking water and the ability to bathe and wash due to South East Water’s inadequate service – on top of this their representatives have consistently failed to communicate clearly to customers, local authorities, and to Members of Parliament representing constituencies throughout the county, which has further slowed-down the process of resolving the issue and eventual accountability.Whilst, I know the Government’s measures such as the new Water Act and the ‘A New Vision for Water’ white paper will hugely improve standards in the long-term, many of constituents are struggling now, and as a result they and I have lost all faith in South East Water’s ability to deliver the basic standards a provider should be able to give to their customers.Thank you for taking the time to read this letter and I look forward to reading your response.
ENDS
