SE Water Update 17 August 2026

Following this update, we will next update you on Friday 21 August, following an internal meeting we’re having that day which will review all the information we’ve gathered so far.

After that meeting we’ll be able to provide further information regarding next steps.

What are we doing?

We are continuing to use tankers to support the network locally in the Windmill Hill and Knowle Hill areas.

As a result, the ten affected properties in Windmill Hill and 20 properties in Knowle Hill remain in supply, albeit we’re aware of some isolated incidents of low pressure.

As in previous days, customers will experience a brief interruption to supplies at around 6pm daily when our tanker crew changes over. This is unfortunately unavoidable, but by making customers aware, they can plan for this brief interruption each day.

Please note, in the event of an emergency, we may need to utilise these tankers in a different way to best meet the emerging situation, but we will continue to support and communicate with our customers in Ulcombe.

There are a small number of residential properties on Ulcombe Hill continuing to experience low pressure or temporary loss of water. We apologise unreservedly to these customers as we know this is not acceptable.

Unlike Windmill Hill and Knowle Hill, we are unable to use tankers here. Our engineering team has been exploring what practical measures can be put in place to remedy these longstanding issues.

Our colleagues at Waterlink, a department within South East Water, are continuing visits to properties impacted today.

Meanwhile, we are continuing to offer grab bags (for flushing of toilets) directly to the impacted customers, as well as continuing to deliver bottled water.

We are also continuing deliveries of bottled water to residents living at Church Farm.

We are supporting the farm by tankering 30,000 litres of water daily directly to their onsite tank and this action reduces overall demand on the local drinking water network, which in turn has a benefit to all residents.

What else are we doing in the short and long term?

Pressure loggers are being used to monitor the water pressures in the area, and we have increased the number of loggers on the network to provide comprehensive data for the area over the coming weeks. Our technicians have now reviewed all valve operations locally to identify any local issues.

We’re also carrying out several further actions across Ulcombe and other parts of Kent, including working to reduce the amount of leakage across our network, and arranging the collection and recycling of plastic bottles following deliveries to the area.

Our teams continue to explore longer-term solutions to ensure the area has a reliable supply of drinking water, with our modelling and engineering departments working hard to identify how we can resolve the problems. Weekly meetings are in place to ensure this progresses as quickly as possible.

A public meeting has been arranged for Thursday, 10 September from 7pm - 9pm in Ulcombe Village Hall. We are grateful for this opportunity for residents and stakeholders to meet with us in person to share their experiences, ask questions and hear what we are doing to resolve these problems.

If you would like to raise any specific points or have any questions you’d like answered at this meeting, please direct these to Patrick McGinley from Ulcombe Water Watch via email at patrick.mcginley1@btinternet.com. He has kindly agreed to collate these responses to ensure everybody has the opportunity to be heard.

We would like to apologise unreservedly once again for the persistent issues and disruption this ongoing situation continues to cause the residents of Ulcombe. Please be assured that our teams are working tirelessly to resolve these problems with the highest priority.

Further updates

We will update you again on Friday 21 August, following an internal meeting we’re having which will review all the information we’ve gathered so far. After that meeting we’ll be able to provide further information regarding next steps.

Incident Manager