Paediatric nurse expresses "serious concern" over quality of water in Tunbridge Wells for babies
The Kent town is entering its tenth day without drinking water
The prolonged water crisis in Tunbridge Wells, now entering its tenth day, is raising new concerns as health professionals warn about its impact on infants, patients, and vulnerable residents.
Water supply has been partially restored to 24,000 properties, but the precautionary boil notice remains in effect, creating uncertainty and challenges for families and businesses.
Bottled water sites remain open across the town, but paediatric nurse and health visitor Sarah Selley has urged mothers not to use bottled water for infant formula feeding.
“You shouldn’t use bottled water to make up formula feeds because it’s not sterile and may contain too much sodium or sulphate,” Ms Selley said. “Formula milk should always be made up with tap water that has been boiled. Right now, we don’t know whether the tap water is safe for consumption, and this is a very concerning situation for the health of infants.”
Healthcare impacts
Local medical practices have also faced significant disruption.
Louise Handford, practice manager at the Wells Medical Practice, detailed the challenges of operating without a reliable water source.
While her practice has managed to stay open by sourcing bottled water for drinking and washing, staff were forced to manually flush toilets and implement extra precautions, such as hand gel and gloves.
“We were able to manage because of exceptional teamwork, but there’s been a lot of anxiety among patients,” Ms Handford said. “People are worried about drinking unsafe water or even using it accidentally."
"The lack of clear guidance from South East Water, especially when it comes to clinical practices, has been an issue we’ve had to manage ourselves. We've only been receiving messages the public have, there needs to be a separate line of communication."
Ms Handford also highlighted the struggles faced by a nearby kidney dialysis centre within the same building, which had to send patients to London for treatment due to the lack of safe water.
“This crisis has exposed the knock-on impacts, from dialysis patients to overwhelmed caregivers. We don’t know how far-reaching the effects will be,” Handford added.
"The main concern comes if patients, or staff, start showing symptoms from consuming this water."
While South East Water expects to restore drinking water within eight days, frustration over the pace of recovery and communication continues to grow. The company has apologised publicly, but Handford, like many others, feels stronger accountability is needed.
“There needs to be better communication pathways, especially for clinical settings like GP practices. We weren’t notified properly about delays in delivery, and priority listings didn’t work as expected,” Ms Handford said. “While we’ve had some fantastic individuals helping on the ground, getting basic help has often been delayed.”
Nurse Sarah Selley echoed these calls for clarity, requesting further guidance for parents navigating the challenges of infant feeding during the crisis.
South East Water updates
South East Water has restored water to 24,000 homes and apologised to all customers affected.
Bottled water stations remain open at several locations:
Tunbridge Wells Sports Centre, St John's Rd, TN4 9TX
Odeon car park, Knights Way, TN2 3UW
RCP Parking, Upper Pantiles Car Park, Major Yorks Rd, TN2 5TP
The Amelia Scott, Civic Way (walk-in station)
B&M Store with Garden Centre, Linden Park Road, TN2 5QL (grab bags available for cleaning but not drinking)
Residents are advised to boil water for consumption and cooking until further notice.
Vulnerable individuals can register for South East Water’s Priority Services Register (PSR) at southeastwater.co.uk/psr for added support and bottled water delivery.
Government action
The water minister, Emma Hardy, has promised an independent investigation into South East Water’s handling of the crisis. Meanwhile, Tunbridge Wells MP Mike Martin, who has remained on the ground throughout, is calling for accountability and financial compensation for families and businesses.
Ms Handford from the Wells Medical Practice has said, "if you’re unsure about health concerns, check the NHS website or contact us directly."
Updates and guidance regarding the boil notice, bottled water stations, and ongoing restoration efforts can be found on South East Water’s incident page: southeastwater.co.uk .