Businesses in Tunbridge Wells could face "tens of millions" in losses from water crisis
Business Investment District CEO urges public to support affected businesses
Businesses in Tunbridge Wells are facing financial losses potentially reaching tens of millions of pounds due to the town’s prolonged water outage, according to Alex Green, CEO of the Tunbridge Wells Together Business Improvement District.
The water crisis, caused by recurring water quality issues at Pembury Water Treatment Works, has disrupted local businesses for five consecutive days.
Hospitality, retail, and services—particularly affected during this critical period before Christmas—are experiencing significant financial strain.
Alex Green tells Greatest Hits and Hits Radio: “It’s difficult to calculate because so many businesses are affected and the situation is still evolving. But we’re expecting losses to be in the millions, possibly even the tens of millions.”
He said, “This is such a crucial time of year. We’ve just had the bank holiday and the Black Friday weekend, and there’s escalating Christmas trade. Businesses are losing thousands daily during what should be their busiest period.”
In response, Tunbridge Wells Together is launching a “keep trading” campaign to encourage the public to support local businesses both before and after Christmas.
Mr Green is urging residents to buy gift vouchers, shop locally, and book restaurant reservations, saying, “We really need businesses to benefit from the extra trade that they lost this last week.”
He also criticised the lack of clear communication from South East Water during the crisis, saying, “If businesses had known ahead of time that supply would be disrupted for a week, they could have planned accordingly. The constantly changing messages are frustrating.”
Despite the challenges, Mr Green said “Businesses in Tunbridge Wells are incredibly hardworking and resourceful. I’m hopeful they'll find ways through this, but they need community support to make it happen.”
Calls for compensation
Alex Green called on South East Water to provide compensation to affected businesses, stating, “This is entirely their fault and their responsibility. The warning they provided has been minimal, and businesses have not been able to respond in any meaningful way.”
Mr Green explained that while some businesses may claim on insurance for interruptions, such coverage may not be sufficient:
“Insurance impacts premiums, requires excess payments, and might not cover the entire loss. Businesses are losing tens of thousands of pounds each for an issue that isn’t their fault. It’s completely reasonable to expect South East Water to fully and properly compensate them.”
Practical action
With bottled water stations remaining open and mobile toilets installed in the town centre, efforts are ongoing to support businesses and residents.
Mr Green has encouraged people to continue visiting trade areas, making bookings, and buying vouchers for future use to help sustain local businesses during the crisis.
Updates on bottled water stations, mobile toilet locations, and the ongoing boil water notice can be found at South East Water’s incident page: southeastwater.co.uk .