Huge challenge ahead, says new water boss

The new boss of South East Water (SEW) says he faces a "huge challenge" in improving both its performance and reputation.

John Halsall has taken over the running of the heavily criticised water company from previous chief executive David Hinton, who resigned from the role in May.

Halsall stepped down as chief operating officer for South West Water in 2024. The company was fined almost £2m following an outbreak the same year of cryptosporidium - a parasite which causes nausea and vomiting - which affected thousands in Brixham, Devon.

He said of his mission to overhaul SEW: "Our job is to deliver water to our customers 24/7, 365 and we're not doing that, for which I'm sorry."

Halsall's arrival comes as SEW remains under fire for repeated supply failures in Kent and Sussex, all the while grappling with major infrastructure issues.

Regulator Ofwat told the company it must spend £30.5m on improvements after supply interruptions hit thousands of its customers across Kent and Sussex.

Ofwat also recently proposed fining the firm £22m over issues affecting 286,000 people in Kent and Sussex between 2020 and 2023.

In addition, its annual report shows it has £1.3bn worth of debt.

However, while acknowledging SEW's current low standing, Halsall describes it as "a good business at its heart".

"We have people who work incredibly hard, but that isn't always translated into results for our customers," he said.

"We need to do a reset, harness that energy and turn things around.

"We have to do better."

A chartered engineer for decades, Halsall has laid out the three main points on which he wanted to focus.

"I've spoken to loads of customers and the plan is clear - when they turn on their taps we need to make sure water comes out.

"We also need to make sure our response improves when things go wrong," he told the BBC.

"Bottle stations running out and vulnerable customers not getting water delivered to their homes is not acceptable

"Thirdly, we need to rebuild those relationships, be more open and transparent with our communication, and not over-promise."

In the longer term, Halsall said he would deliver the company's largest ever investment programme of £2.1bn to "improve reliability and resilience".

But, while that would mean "new service reservoirs, additional treatments and pipework to move water around the patch", he said reducing the necessity of the likes of hosepipe bans was still a long way off.

"I'm genuinely upset that we find ourselves in the position we're in," Halsall said.

"I can't promise to turn the situation around overnight, but I will do everything humanly possible to make things better for our customers."

He says by 2030 he "really expects" South East Water's performance to be "significantly better".

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