BRFM Water Supply Back On – Again
Written by karen on 16 January 2016
Southern Water Under Fire
Water supplies to affected areas on the island have been restored overnight, residents in the ME12 area went almost 24 hours without running water. Southern Water have released the following statement:
We have completed repairs and water is now being restored to the Isle of Sheppey. The area will take some time to fill therefore some customers may experience a delay before the supply returns fully. Some customers may experience discolouration of their water or air in their supply. Please be advised neither are a cause for concern and we advise that you should run your tap until it clears. Bottled water will continue to be available at Morrison’s supermarket in Queenborough. We are very sorry for the inconvenience this has caused.
There was much criticism of Southern Water for the lack of information during the day, despite repeated requests from us and others.
Local MP Gordon Henderson who was on BRFM Friday lunchtime during the crisis has released the following message on his Facebook page.
Just to let everybody know that I will be writing to the Managing Director of Southern Water on Monday to express my anger and frustration at the way today’s water crisis on Sheppey has been handled.
I understand fully that repairing the main pipe under the A249 was a major engineering exercise that has taken a long time complete and I understand that having finished the repair that Southern Water need to undertake extensive tests to ensure the water’s purity.
However, my staff and I have spent all day trying to get information from Southern Water and passing that info onto the people who have been affected, not least because communication with the Public by Southern Water was abysmal.
I am particularly angry about the way in which drinking water has been distributed to those people in need, or rather the way in which it was NOT distributed.
It was all very well arranging for water to be available at Morrison’s, but what about those people in the east end of the Island who had no means of getting to Neats Court, or the elderly or disabled who are unable to get out of their home?
This evening I received an email from a disabled couple in Halfway who are unable to get to Morrison’s and have not had a drink all day. I rang the emergency number we were given in such circumstances and explained the situation. I gave Southern Water their telephone number and asked that they be contacted and provided with water. I asked also that somebody ring me back to confirm it had been done.
Half an hour later I rang the couple myself and they told me nobody had contacted them. I rang Southern Water again and spoke to somebody else. He promised to “try” to contact somebody and get something done. I told him in no uncertain terms that “trying” was not good enough. Again I asked that the couple be contacted and somebody ring me back.
When I hadn’t received a call back in half an hour I decided to take the couple some water myself. It’s just as well I did because finally Southern Water have rung me back and confirmed the couple are now on the list for a delivery and they would get water within the next few hours.
Within the next few hours! It is now 11 pm and as I pointed out to Southern Water, the couple are likely to be in bed before the water was delivered. The answer was that they would get water tomorrow.
Is it any wonder that I am so angry?
I will be telling the Managing Director without pulling any punches that Southern Water should have allocated as many resources as necessary to ensure a) that people knew how to contact them if they needed water and b) they had immediate access to that water.
Reader's opinions
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Carole Clymer On 16 January 2016 at 09:09
I still have no water in Warden Bay
Gary Smith On 16 January 2016 at 09:10
Same here (warden point)
Carole Clymer On 16 January 2016 at 09:11
Thanks Gary for letting me know. At least I know it’s not just me
Carole Clymer On 16 January 2016 at 09:16
I’ve just had to use water from the garden water butt to try and flush the loo. I’m one of the lucky ones. If anyone knows of any elderly/disabled/ vulnerable people that needs water let me know and I can get it to them. I’ve filled up a 5 gallon container at my daughters house (I do a lot of camping)
Carole Clymer On 16 January 2016 at 09:37
I now have water ??
Carolina Pearce On 16 January 2016 at 09:15
Same here, Augustine Road Minster
Stephanie Taylor On 16 January 2016 at 09:20
No water eastchurch
Stephanie Weathers On 16 January 2016 at 09:30
No water in Baldwin road and queens road
Squeak Brickenden On 16 January 2016 at 09:33
None in minster
Louise Bostock On 16 January 2016 at 09:40
I had water in Scarborough Dr but it’s gone again
Jan Southfield On 16 January 2016 at 09:45
Non in Leysdown
Karen Hurst On 16 January 2016 at 09:51
We haven’t in warden road
Michelle Oneill On 16 January 2016 at 09:54
Keith Oneill
Mell Elphick On 16 January 2016 at 10:01
We still no water warden bay
Charles Kitts On 16 January 2016 at 10:02
Cylene Gregory
Fiona Barnes On 16 January 2016 at 10:11
No water minster
Jan Southfield On 16 January 2016 at 10:21
Whooohoo, just got a bit of water through the toilet cistern!! Flushed at last!
Elizabeth Hooker On 16 January 2016 at 10:48
Where are you?
Jan Southfield On 16 January 2016 at 19:43
Leysdown
Daisy Louise Dawkins On 16 January 2016 at 10:33
Alexandra Buckingham
Alexandra Buckingham On 16 January 2016 at 10:42
Minster has gone off again
Denise Shurman On 16 January 2016 at 11:23
We still have no water wing rd area ..Leysdown
Jo Bancroft On 16 January 2016 at 14:07
Queens Road has a river running down it :/
Carl Dyke On 16 January 2016 at 15:13
Water supplies were not switched back on overnight – we didn’t get water until 11am this morning – which meant we were without water for 25 hours !!
Norman Sells On 16 January 2016 at 15:55
Still none on Bovis homes thistle hilly