The chief executive of South East Water has resigned following criticism from Members of Parliament regarding the company’s handling of water supply disruptions. David Hinton will step down from his position but will continue temporarily to ensure a smooth transition.
The company stated that Hinton felt his role was becoming a distraction from the essential task of providing a reliable water supply to customers. This decision follows the recent resignation of the company’s chairman, Chris Train, after MPs expressed no confidence in the leadership.
South East Water faced scrutiny from the Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs Committee over its response to supply interruptions in Kent and Sussex. These issues included outages in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, in late 2020 and early 2021, attributed to Storm Goretti causing burst pipes and power failures.
In a separate development, South East Water is facing a potential £22 million fine from the regulator Ofwat for supply failures affecting over 286,000 people between 2020 and 2023. The utility company has been criticized for leaving customers without water for days, particularly in Kent and Sussex.
Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds welcomed Hinton’s resignation, calling for a change in leadership to prioritize customer needs and prevent future supply disruptions. Activists like Sophie Conquest from We Own It have called for public ownership of the water sector to ensure better service delivery and accountability.
