A group of Tunbridge Wells residents has demanded that officials from South East Water and regulators meet the public at an event being held on Wednesday evening.

The group set up following prolonged failures of the local water supply is called “Dry Wells Action.”

Dry Wells Action’s founder, Jonathan Hawker (pictured below), wants measures to ensure the community is never again left unable to flush toilets or wash for days at a time.

Jonathan Hawker, said: “After all that it has been through, this community deserves to hear from the company itself and from those whose duty it is to hold South East Water to account. Not attending and speaking to people who’ve been so badly let down would in itself send a message of abject contempt for a community these organisations are meant to serve.”

Invitations were sent last week to the Water Minister, Emma Hardy MP; the three regulators – Ofwat, the Drinking Water Inspectorate, and the Consumer Council for Water, as well as elected bodies and members.

Dry Wells Action said on Monday that so far there are no indications that SE Water or regulators will attend. Mike Martin MP is also understood to be busy at Westminster.

But the meeting will go ahead to allow residents, councillors and outside experts to discuss why the community has experienced repeated, lengthy water outages and why regulators and government have not taken enforcement action against the company.

Dry Wells Action’s website states its demands are:

• A fully independent engineering review of the entire water supply system serving Tunbridge Wells by an outside engineering consultancy, with an honest assessment of what is failing, what needs rebuilding and what it will cost.
•  A funded plan with timelines with a clear list of upgrades, milestones, deadlines and published progress.  
• Investment in a future-proof water infrastructure, not temporary firefighting. 
• A change in leadership at South East Water and effective regulation.

Dry Wells Action is grateful to the owners of the Old Auction House in Tunbridge Wells which has made the venue available to the group for free to host the event. Access is free but limited. The meeting starts promptly at 7.30pm on Wednesday 21st January. Tickets are available via http://www.drywellsaction.com