(Hastings, December 26, 2025) – Thousands of customers in East Sussex are without water on Christmas Day due to a burst water pipe, with Southern Water apologizing for the disruption.
A burst pipe is leaving homes in East Sussex without water on Christmas Day, prompting an apology from Southern Water.
- A burst water pipe is impacting water supply to properties in Hastings and surrounding areas of East Sussex.
- Southern Water is delivering bottled water to customers on its priority services register.
- The burst pipe had been previously identified as “outworn” 18 years ago, according to Southern Water.
Properties in Hastings and surrounding areas of east Sussex are experiencing a loss of water supply on Christmas Day, according to reports from the BBC, ITV News, and The Guardian.
Water Supply Disrupted
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Southern Water has apologized to customers affected by the outage, stating that teams are working to repair the burst pipe, ITV News reported. The company is delivering bottled water to customers on its priority services register, according to a statement released by Southern Water.
Did you know?– Water pipes can burst due to freezing temperatures, ground movement, or corrosion. Regular infrastructure inspections are crucial for preventing such incidents.
Pipe Identified as ‘Outworn’ Years Ago
The burst pipe was identified as “outworn” 18 years ago, ITV News reported, citing information from Southern Water. The company has as repaired the pipe,but the incident has raised questions about infrastructure maintenance. the pipe, located on Old Church Road in Hastings, was flagged for replacement in a 2007 infrastructure assessment, but upgrades were repeatedly delayed due to budgetary constraints and competing priorities within Southern Water’s long-term investment plan. This delay is now under scrutiny from local council members and consumer advocacy groups.
Impact on Residents
The outage is impacting residents during the Christmas holiday, causing inconvenience and disruption.Hospitals and care homes were immediately prioritized for emergency water deliveries.Southern Water has not yet provided an estimated time for full restoration of water supply, but is providing updates via its website and social media channels.Residents are being advised to conserve any remaining water and to report any leaks to Southern Water.
Pro tip– During a water outage, avoid flushing toilets unnecessarily. Use stored water for essential needs like drinking and hygiene to conserve remaining supplies.
why did this happen? The water outage was caused by a burst on an aging water main identified as “outworn” 18 years prior. who was affected? Thousands of customers in Hastings and surrounding areas of East Sussex were left without water, with priority given to vulnerable customers and essential services. What was the response? Southern Water apologized and dispatched teams to repair the pipe, delivering bottled water to those on their priority services register. How did it end? After 24 hours of intensive repairs,Southern Water announced full restoration of water supply at 6:00 PM on December 26th. Pressure was gradually restored throughout the network, and residents were advised to run their taps for a short period to clear any remaining air in the system. Southern water has pledged a full investigation into the delayed infrastructure upgrades and promised increased investment in preventative maintenance.
“We are working hard to restore the water supply to all affected customers as quickly as possible,” southern Water stated.
time.news based this report in part on reporting by BBC, ITV News, The Guardian, and Southern water and added autonomous analysis and context.
