Hundreds without water in Chestfield, near Whitstable, after South East Water’s pipes burst

Hundreds have been left without water overnight after pipes burst – leaving the area’s main road closed and flooded.

Parts of South East Water’s network in Chestfield, near Whitstable, suffered huge leaks triggering a deluge of water to gush through roads.

Water gushes from the road at the junction of Chestfield Road and Polo Way. Picture: Simon Roberts

The utility giant has apologised to those affected by the “complex” issue and admitted it is unable to give an estimated completion time.

Reports of a drop in water pressure first came in on Tuesday afternoon as many people found themselves unable to access water.

The Chestfield Road leak has since been repaired after emergency workers pumped away excess water, however, low water pressure could remain for some time.

The leak in Polo Way discharge is a separate incident, which has already been reported to South East Water, with crews remaining on site.

Temporary traffic lights are in place on Polo Way while Chestfield Road, which leads to the Old Thanet Way, remains closed before Grasmere Road.

Chestfield Road remains flooded and closed. Picture: Simon Roberts
Water gushes from the road at the junction of Chestfield Road and Polo Way. Picture: Simon Roberts

A message on South East Water’s website says: “We're really sorry to those of you without water or low pressure .

“We currently have a second burst caused by pressure issues on the mains network follow repairs yesterday.

“We are working hard to restore supplies to normal, however, this is proving to be quite complex so we can't give you an estimated completion time at the moment, but we'll continue to update this map with updates as we get them.

“Once again, we're really sorry for the interruption.

“We know how disruptive it is to be without water and we're doing everything we can to get you up and running as soon as possible.”

It adds updates are viable through the firm’s website.

City councillor James Flanagan (Lib Dem) says he has telephoned the firm at least four times in the past 24 hours to report the problem.

He told KentOnline: “It’s of huge importance this is fixed quickly, and I will continue to call South East Water to ensure this is fixed.

“It’s an enormous issue, and it’s caused quite a lot of concern.

“When you look at the size of Chestfield, to have both the Whitstable and Herne Bay side of the village affected you can see how big it is.”