"We don't trust the water quality": Dental Practice in Tunbridge Wells on the ongoing outage
The water crisis in Tunbridge Wells has entered its seventh day, continuing to impact thousands of homes, businesses, and community services.
Declared a "major incident" earlier this week, the outage has left 24,000 properties on a boil notice for water restored over the past two days, while others remain without supply entirely.
Nina Blake, manager of Warwick Park Dental Practice, described the situation as having a "huge impact" on both the business and its patients.
“Our priority is patient care, but we were unable to see patients for the first two days when there was no water. Miscommunication from South East Water meant we couldn’t plan, and even now, the water quality isn’t safe enough for operations,” Blake said.
The practice has spent over £1,500 on bottled water alone for basic tasks like handwashing, cleaning, and flushing toilets. An additional £200 has been spent on distilled water critical for equipment like dental chairs and autoclaves. Despite water being restored to some areas, the ongoing boil notice means the practice must continue relying on bottled and distilled water. “This is not the service we strive to provide,” Blake added.
The effect of the crisis is being felt across the town, particularly by local businesses, which are facing mounting financial losses during what should be a busy festive season. Alex Green, CEO of Tunbridge Wells Together Business Improvement District, estimated the economic impact could amount to tens of millions of pounds.
Boil notice and restoration efforts
The boil notice issued by South East Water remains in place for homes that have recently gained water. According to South East Water’s Incident Manager Matthew Dean, “The water is chemically safe for flushing toilets or showering but cannot be used for drinking or cooking without boiling first.”
Dean added that the company is working carefully to refill the pipeline network while preventing burst pipes and addressing air locks. Discoloured water—caused by deposits of iron and manganese—may continue appearing but is harmless when taps are run until clear.
South East Water has apologised to affected customers and confirmed the opening of bottled water sites until 10pm at five 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 water station)
B&M Store with Garden Centre, Linden Park Road, TN2 5QL (grab bags available for cleaning but not drinking)
Deliveries of bottled water to vulnerable customers registered on the Priority Services Register (PSR) remain active. Residents can sign up for support at southeastwater.co.uk/psr .
Government promises investigation
Emma Hardy, the Minister for Water, has pledged an independent investigation into the crisis, which has been declared a national issue. Discussions between Hardy, South East Water, and local leaders are underway to ensure accountability and plan reforms for infrastructure resilience.
Blake echoed those calls for accountability, saying, “There needs to be clear communication, responsibility, and compensation. This crisis has had a huge ripple effect across all walks of the community.”
As frustrations rise, local businesses are urging the public to support high street shops and hospitality venues struggling to recover from the fallout. “Keep coming back, book tables, buy gift vouchers. Anything to help businesses make up for what they’ve lost over this last week,” Green said.
The boil notice and bottled water distribution remain in effect as restoration efforts continue. Updates on supply and resources can be found on South East Water’s incident page: southeastwater.co.uk .
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