Britons expecting continued hot weather this weekend will face additional challenges as a water company urges thousands of individuals to conserve water due to supply shortages despite temperatures hovering around 30C.

South East Water has issued a plea to its customers to use water sparingly for essential purposes like drinking, washing, and cooking over the weekend due to limited supply in its catchment area. The scarcity has caused disruptions in Kent, impacting around 3,500 customers, leading to business closures and residents lining up at water distribution points.

Matthew Dean, the company’s incident response manager, has emphasized the need for affected individuals to save water as tap water disruptions are expected to persist throughout the weekend in the area. In Whitstable, 3,500 customers are anticipated to have their water supply restored later in the day, while 165 customers in Cranbrook are currently without access to drinking water due to critically low storage tank levels.

Approximately 10,500 customers in areas such as Coxheath, Loose, Headcorn, Herne Bay, and Benenden are encountering low water pressure or intermittent supply. The demand for water during the heatwave has led to sporadic water availability, with interruptions most common during peak usage times in the morning and evening.

To support vulnerable customers, nearly 230,000 liters of water have been delivered, and bottled water has been distributed to facilities like care homes, GP surgeries, pharmacies, and dentists. Additionally, around 340,000 bottles of water have been provided at distribution points throughout the county, with plans to establish more locations to cater to the demand.

Temperatures across Kent and the southeast are expected to remain high, with Saturday’s forecast indicating temperatures between 24C and 26C, and Sunday’s between 21C and 22C. South East Water continues to urge customers to use water responsibly for essential needs like drinking, washing, and cooking.

Mr. Dean expressed regret for the inconveniences faced by customers and assured them of efforts to address the issues promptly. Despite the challenges, the company pumped 619 million liters of water to customers on Thursday, exceeding the usual May average. He highlighted that during periods of high demand, they have treated and pumped around 100 million liters more on some days compared to the daily May average.

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