Water is being gradually restored to over 32,500 properties in East Sussex after a main burst disrupted supplies for three days. The incident occurred in Keeper’s Wood near the A21 and affected areas including St Leonards-on-Sea and Hastings. Southern Water, the utility responsible, managed to complete repairs by Saturday but noted that full service restoration is expected by Monday.

The burst pipe has caused significant disruption during a busy local event period, overlapping with the Jack in the Green festival and May Day bike run, which attract around 40,000 visitors to Hastings. Local infrastructure, including schools, leisure centres, and theatres, was impacted, and some areas reported using seawater for toilet flushing due to the water crisis.

Southern Water has been actively distributing bottled water and has set up water bottle stations to manage the shortage. The company has issued apologies for the inconvenience and communicated continuous efforts to support vulnerable customers and restore normal service. Reports have also highlighted community frustrations, particularly concerning water access and communication issues during this period.