Thousands of homes across Maidstone and surrounding villages have been left without water or facing low pressure, with disruption expected to continue through the weekend.
South East Water (SEW) said around 4,500 people in areas from Hollingbourne through to Headcorn and nearby villages may see supplies drop out entirely at times — particularly properties on higher ground. Some customers reported losing water from the early hours of Saturday.
What’s caused the disruption?
SEW says the immediate trigger is an operational issue affecting Southern Water, which supplies treated water into SEW’s network to support these areas. That bulk supply has been temporarily switched off, leaving local storage reservoirs under strain.
The timing has made matters worse. SEW says its system has already been under pressure after a string of burst water mains across Kent linked to recent freeze/thaw conditions. On top of that, Storm Goretti has affected the company’s ability to treat water at normal levels, further reducing the “buffer” normally provided by treated water reservoirs.
How long could it last?
SEW has warned customers to prepare for intermittent supply and low pressure throughout the weekend. The company said some households may experience a more predictable pattern while the network stabilises — with better flow in the mornings, followed by reduced or no water later in the day.
SEW’s latest expectation is that water storage levels should stabilise by 13 January, but that can depend on repair progress and operational conditions across the wider network.
What SEW is doing right now
SEW says it is taking several steps to keep water moving and reduce outages:
- Moving water from other areas of the network where possible
- Deploying tanker lorries to inject water directly into the system in key locations
- Opening bottled water collection points and prioritising deliveries for vulnerable customers
A bottled water station has been opened at Headcorn Aerodrome, and SEW says bottled water will also be delivered to priority customers where needed.
Important advice for residents
If your water is off or pressure is low, a few practical steps can make the situation easier and safer:
- Store what you can safely (clean jugs, bottles, a filled kettle) when water returns
- Avoid running taps continuously — it can worsen pressure in the area
- If water returns cloudy, run the cold tap briefly until it clears
- If you rely on medical equipment or have mobility needs, check SEW’s priority services guidance
For live incident updates and “no water” guidance, use SEW’s official pages here: Works & outages updates and I’ve got no water (postcode checker).
Food businesses: “must close” warning
Maidstone Borough Council has advised that food businesses without running water must close for hygiene reasons. Running a food operation without water can create serious hygiene risks, particularly where staff can’t wash hands properly or clean and sanitise food-contact surfaces.
If you operate a café, takeaway, pub kitchen, or food prep site in the affected area, check the council’s food business guidance and speak to Environmental Health if you’re unsure what’s permitted: Maidstone food business advice.
Why this matters beyond Maidstone
This disruption lands during a week of wider attention on water resilience in the South East, after repeated supply problems elsewhere in Kent. For many households, the stop-start nature of supply is the most difficult part — it affects everything from cooking and washing to caring responsibilities and business opening hours.
SEW has apologised and says its goal is to restore stability as quickly as possible, while also using a controlled approach to protect the network and help reservoirs recover.
What to do next
If you’re affected, it’s worth doing three things today:
- Check your postcode on SEW’s live incident map
- Plan around the pattern (use mornings for essentials if afternoons drop)
- Use bottled water points if you have no supply — and share info with neighbours who may need help
Related (Swikblog): For more UK disruption updates and practical “what to do now” explainers, see: Is Sky TV down right now? UK outage updates and visit the Swikblog homepage.
