Drought and water supply failures grip south east England
Drone footage shows parched landscapes while thousands in Kent remain without water after supply failures.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
The prolonged dry summer has left much of south east England parched, with drone footage revealing the stark impact on the landscape. From the Surrey Hills to the coast of Kent and Sussex, fields have turned brown, reservoirs are low, and even golf courses and vineyards are feeling the strain. The footage, captured across Kent, Sussex and Surrey, shows familiar landmarks surrounded by dry, cracked earth. At Hever Castle, the grass has been left to go brown, while at Ridgeview vineyard, the grapes are smaller and the wine yield is expected to be lower.
But the drought has also caused practical problems. Thousands of homes in Kent have been left without water after supply failures. South East Water has apologised, blaming the hot weather, high demand and burst pipes. The government has condemned the company as "simply not good enough". Some residents have been without running water for more than a week, forced to rely on bottled water for drinking, washing and flushing the toilet. The company says water levels in its storage tanks remain critically low, and customers are urged to use water only for essential purposes.
The problems have been compounded by an ageing infrastructure. Much of the UK's water grid relies on pipes that are decades old and already leak billions of litres each day. When the ground dries, they crack and burst further. Experts say investment is needed to future-proof the system against climate change and extreme weather.
Rain has finally arrived this week, but it will take a lot more to restore the region to its usual green appearance. The drone footage serves as a stark reminder of the summer's impact, and the challenges that lie ahead.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC One | Channel 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Around 8,000 homes in Kent were left without water. | · | ||
| Customers were urged to use water only for essential purposes. | · | · | |
| Drone footage showed parched landscapes and low water levels in Kent, Sussex and Surrey. | · | · | |
| Recent rain has not been enough to restore the UK's green appearance. | · | · | |
| South East Water blamed hot weather, high demand and burst pipes for the disruption. | · | · | |
| The government condemned South East Water's handling of the crisis. | · | · | |
| The water supply problem was attributed to a lack of investment in ageing infrastructure. | · | · | |
| Vineyards in the region expect a smaller harvest but with higher sugar levels. | · | · | |
| Water supply problems affected hundreds to thousands of homes in southern England, with South East Water reporting critically low drinking storage tank levels. | · | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
This channel focused on the immediate water supply crisis in Kent, highlighting the number of people affected and the warning from South East Water. It did not mention the drone footage or the broader drought impact, instead treating the water shortage as the main story.
- “Hundreds of people are still without water in the south of England.”
- “South East Water is warning its customers that water levels in its drinking storage tanks remains critically low.”
Channel 4 focused on the human impact of the water supply failures, including government criticism of South East Water and the plight of residents. It also highlighted the underlying issue of ageing infrastructure and lack of investment, framing the crisis as a systemic problem rather than a one-off event.
- “the government has condemned southeast water as simply not good enough”
- “Some residents have been without running water since last Monday.”
- “A problem caused by a lack of investment in aging infrastructure.”
BBC ONE West led with the drone footage as a visual record of the drought's impact across the south east, while also noting that rain had finally arrived but would not be enough. It gave a more scenic and explanatory angle, including interviews with a head gardener and a vineyard, rather than focusing on the water supply failures.
- “the rain has finally arrived this week but it'll take a lot more to restore much of the UK to its familiar green and lush appearance”
- “Drone pictures filmed across Kent, Sussex and Surrey have captured the extraordinary impact of the long dry summer”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.