South East Water CEO Resigns After Supply Crisis

BBC Business reported Friday that South East Water CEO David Hinton has stepped down following months of criticism over severe water supply failures. The South East Water resignation ends his tenure at a company now facing regulatory and parliamentary scrutiny.

Outages Left Tens of Thousands Without Water

Two separate outage events drove the public backlash. In late November, around 24,000 properties across Kent and Sussex lost supply or experienced critically low pressure. The company traced that failure to a disinfection problem at its Pembury Water Treatment Works. Residents were told to boil tap water for nine days after supply was restored.

Weeks later, a second wave of disruptions struck areas including Tunbridge Wells, East Grinstead, Maidstone, and Canterbury. South East Water blamed that event on Storm Goretti and freezing temperatures. Up to 30,000 properties were affected in that second incident, deepening public frustration.

Select Committee Report Condemned the Company

A parliamentary committee report published on 1 May accelerated calls for leadership change. The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee accused the firm of poor leadership, weak governance, and a culture in which no one was held accountable. That report had already prompted South East Water chair Chris Train to resign seven days before Hinton’s own departure was confirmed.

In a statement, the company said Hinton felt his continued presence had become a growing distraction from its core mission of delivering reliable water to customers. Interim chair Lisa Clement acknowledged his years of service without defending his handling of the crisis.

Regulators Are Still Investigating

The departures do not close the regulatory front. Ofwat is actively investigating the company and is consulting on a £22 million fine for separate supply disruptions recorded between 2020 and 2023. The Drinking Water Inspectorate is running a parallel inquiry and has previously described the November failure as both foreseeable and preventable, citing longstanding weaknesses in management and operational preparedness.

Government and Local Voices Welcome the Move

Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds called the resignation a necessary first step and said customers must now see an end to supply interruptions. Parliamentary committee chair Alistair Carmichael MP described the exit as “obviously the right thing.” Local business owners, including a Tunbridge Wells butcher who lost thousands of pounds closing for a week in November, welcomed accountability but called for structural change. A care home manager whose facility relied on 2,000 water bottles daily said it remained unclear how systemic problems would be fixed under new leadership.

South East Water says engineering works and operational changes are already underway.

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