Investigation launched into South East Water as thousands in Kent and Sussex still without water – follow live

Charles Granville and his wife work with carers to look after his mother-in-law, who is 105 years old.

“My wife and I have been living with her for the last year and a half, but of course, lack of water is a problem, as it is for everyone,” Granville says.

“I don’t think we’ve had a text or an email from South East Water, but we have had some supplies of water delivered, but it’s been inconsistent. Some days it hasn’t come at all. My wife has had to go into town, as everyone else has, to collect water.”

Granville says the deliveries which arrive, combined with his wife’s trips to the supermarket, mean the family has “sufficient water to survive”.

“We’ve also used a water butt, we’ve been collecting water from that in a bucket, bringing it into the house and warming it up so we’ve been able to do a bit of washing, cleaning,” he says.

“It’s a bit third world but we are coping.

“We’re told that the bad weather has caused the problems but actually the weather hasn’t been that bad at all. It’s very surprising that in this day and age, a water company cannot provide a basic service of water.”

Charles Granville and his wife work with carers to look after his mother-in-law, who is 105 years old.

“My wife and I have been living with her for the last year and a half, but of course, lack of water is a problem, as it is for everyone,” Granville says.

“I don’t think we’ve had a text or an email from South East Water, but we have had some supplies of water delivered, but it’s been inconsistent. Some days it hasn’t come at all. My wife has had to go into town, as everyone else has, to collect water.”

Granville says the deliveries which arrive, combined with his wife’s trips to the supermarket, mean the family has “sufficient water to survive”.

“We’ve also used a water butt, we’ve been collecting water from that in a bucket, bringing it into the house and warming it up so we’ve been able to do a bit of washing, cleaning,” he says.

“It’s a bit third world but we are coping.

“We’re told that the bad weather has caused the problems but actually the weather hasn’t been that bad at all. It’s very surprising that in this day and age, a water company cannot provide a basic service of water.”