Christmas disrupted: Thousands in East Sussex Face Water Outages Amid Southern Water Crisis
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Meta Description: East Sussex residents are experiencing water shortages on Christmas Day due to a southern Water issue following a burst main. Learn about affected areas and recovery efforts.
Some households in East sussex are facing a bleak Christmas Day with no water after Southern Water experienced difficulties restoring service following a burst water main. the utility company attributes the current crisis to “very low levels” at the Fairlight reservoir, which has “now reached its final reserves.”
Impacted Areas and Customer Reports
The areas most affected include postcodes TN34, TN35, TN37, and TN38, with customers situated at higher elevations experiencing the most significant disruptions.According to a company release, fewer than 100 customers in Hastings have reported low pressure or intermittent supply. “We’re sorry customers in Hastings may currently be experiencing low pressure and, in some cases, a temporary loss of water supply,” the company stated.”We understand how disruptive this can be,especially at this time of year,and we’re doing everything we can to restore supplies as quickly as possible.”
A Cascade of Issues
The current situation follows a burst mains pipe reported on Tuesday morning in a woodland north of Hastings. Crews worked to repair the pipe to prevent widespread outages during the holiday period.However, a short power outage on Thursday at the Brede water supply works further depleted the remaining levels in the Fairlight reservoir, exacerbating the problem.
Recurring infrastructure Failures
this is not an isolated incident. Hastings residents were left without water for four days in May 2024 after a separate pipe burst. Disturbingly,that particular pipe had been flagged for replacement as early as 2007 but repairs were never undertaken. Multiple pipes in the Hastings area have been previously identified by Southern Water as “aged assets prone to failure,” raising serious questions about long-term infrastructure investment.
Emergency Response and Conservation Efforts
Southern Water has established a bottled water station in Pelham Place car park on Carlisle Parade in Hastings, remaining open until 10 p.m. on Christmas Day to assist affected residents. A fleet of tankers has also been deployed to inject water into the network and replenish the reservoir. “This process takes time, but we’re already seeing gradual improvements,” the company reported.Residents who still have water are being urged to use it responsibly, given the critically low reservoir levels and high demand.
Political Pressure Mounts
Helena Dollimore,the labor MP for Hastings and Rye,expressed her outrage,stating,”I’m angry that Hastings once again is paying the price for the failures of Southern Water.” she emphasized that the town’s water infrastructure is “not fit for purpose after years of neglect” and demanded immediate action. Dollimore is actively pressing Southern Water to expedite restoration efforts, increase bottled water
From Thin Update to Substantive News report
Why: thousands of residents in East Sussex are facing water outages on Christmas Day due to critically low water levels at the Fairlight reservoir, exacerbated by a burst main and a subsequent power outage.
Who: The primary actors are Southern Water, the utility company responsible for water supply; affected residents in postcodes TN34, TN35, TN37, and TN38; and Helena Dollimore, the Labour MP for Hastings and rye
