RESIDENTS across Eastbourne and Hailsham are facing mounting frustration and disruption as a growing number of water mains problems are leaving customers without reliable water supplies.
Areas currently affected by outages or dangerously low water pressure include Langney, Hampden Park and Pevensey, as well as Upper and Lower Dicker, with parts of Hellingly also impacted.
The situation has been compounded by severe weather, with Storm Goretti and recent freeze–thaw conditions blamed for a surge in burst water mains across the network.
However, local anger is now turning firmly towards South East Water amid concerns about poor communication and long-term underinvestment in infrastructure.
Eastbourne MP Josh Babarinde has spoken out and is calling for urgent action.
He said: “This weekend, a big chunk of Langney and Sovereign Harbour has been affected by low or no water pressure, which has caused serious issues for many residents.
“South East Water have told me that Storm Goretti has affected their ability to treat the raw water at the normal rate at their main Sussex water treatment works.
“They also say that the storm, together with the outbreak of burst water mains on their network due to the freeze/thaw conditions, has meant that drinking water storage levels are running low.
Honestly, this isn’t good enough – and the provision of information has been poor. Water companies have spent years dining out on big bonuses and salaries while failing to invest in the infrastructure upgrades needed to help avoid situations like this.”
Mr Babarinde said he has urged South East Water to ‘get a grip of this situation’ and clearly outline when supplies are expected to return to normal. He has also called for a bottled water station to be set up in the Langney and Sovereign Harbour area to ensure residents are not left without access to drinking water.
He added that vulnerable residents can seek additional help through the Priority Services Register (PSR), which allows eligible customers to request bottled water deliveries directly to their homes, particularly if they have mobility issues or medical needs.
The disruption has gone beyond households. On Saturday (January 10), the Hampden Park level crossing was forced to close while emergency repairs were carried out on a burst water main, causing further inconvenience for motorists.
We have contacted South-East Water for an update on the situation.
To see updates on problems in your area, visit https://aqualerter.southeastwater.co.uk/
