Thriving environment

Our business is intrinsically linked to the environment as we rely on it for our raw product, water. For this reason we do all we can to ensure there is a clean, resilient and sustainable supply available for current and future water customers whilst ensuring there is enough water available to support the needs of the environment too. Click 'Discover More' to find out more from our Head of Environment, Emma Goddard.

Low carbon sustainable business

We’re committed to playing our part to tackle the causes of climate change and transitioning to low-carbon operations, achieving net zero by 2030. Click ‘Discover more’ to find out more from our Carbon Strategy and Economic Manager, Matt Hersey.

Securing the future of water

Resilient water resources are needed to ensure we have enough water to supply our customers into the future, while ensuring enough remains in the environment so habitats can thrive. Click ‘Discover more’ to find out more from our Head of Water Resources, Nick Price.

Future ready business

Our people are dedicated to providing you with the best service possible, whether they’re out in the field searching for leaks, managing our operational sites, testing the quality of your water or answering your queries. Each and every person within the business is dedicated to delivering you the safe reliable tap water supply you expect. Click 'Discover more' to find out more from our Head of HR, Sian Jenkins.

Last updated 08-07-25

Interruptions to customers' water supply

You rely on us to supply top-quality drinking water to your taps 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Despite our ongoing programme to upgrade our infrastructure, burst pipes, site failures or third-party damage to our network can sometimes happen.

Our target for 2024/25 was for each property we serve to be impacted on average by an interruption for less than five minutes.

How have we performed?

Of the 2,092 mains repairs completed in the year, 2,083 were completed with no impact or less than 30 seconds impact on the overall interruption minutes target.

There were seven network repairs to trunk mains (mains 6-inch diameter or larger that are difficult to isolate and rezone) or complex below ground failures in Sussex contributed 13.6 minutes to the total

There were two supply asset/treatment work incidents in Kent contributed 20.85 minutes to the overall total

The average interruption during the year was 44.06 minutes per property resulting in a £3.373 million payment. 

Our performance was severely impacted by the two large source water events, the most impactful being a power related failure following a named storm event at our water treatment works in Sevenoaks in January 2025, which resulted in flooding of the site from the artesian source water and subsequent airlocking of the supply network once supplies were re-started. 

In March 2025 we lost a key site in the Trottiscliffe area of Kent, which flooded following a pipework failure onsite, this shorted the electrical panels and pumps which had to be immediately and safely repaired or replaced once the flood waters had been cleared before outputs from the site could be re-established. These two incidents alone accounted for 20.85 of the 44.04 total minutes interruptions for the year

We continue to operate an improvement programme to help identify, track and implement new initiatives to help reduce interruptions to your supply. This programme includes network learning and incident management workshops which have been running throughout the year.

Going forward we are focusing on delivering solutions in our Kent and Sussex regions to provide more resilience against extreme weather and asset failure.

Case Studies

Stakeholders at the scheme briefing

New £12 million pipeline to improve resilience

Inside our new water treatment works

Our new £39 million Kent treatment works

Customers listening to a water treatment works tour

Giving customers a sneak peak behind-the-scenes

Bottled water being handed out

Vulnerable customers at the heart of new emergency plans in the Wealden

A couple looking through a magazine in a garden

Recognition for putting vulnerable customers first