Schools in East Sussex have been forced to close for another day due to a lack of water.
Residents in the Crowborough, Rotherfield and Mayfield have been experiencing water supply issues with South East Water saying it has seen demand soar as the temperature has risen, putting pressure on its network.
Green Lane Sixth Form at Beacon Academy, Crowborough, continues to be impacted by the loss of water supply in the town.
On the East Sussex County Council website it says all Year 12 and 13 students are to go straight to Beeches site on Wednesday morning and that information has been sent to all Year 12 and 13 parents and students via Edulink.
Rotherfield Primary School has imposed an emergency closure also due to lack of water.
It had to close yesterday also.
On the council’s website it says: “Water pressure at school remains significantly lower than normal and so we are unable to open.
“Work will be set via tapestry or seesaw. Parents who had an email regarding packed lunches need to order these via the emailed link by 9am. Sorry for the inconvenience this is causing we are working hard to make alternative plans.”
South East Water has appealed for customers to not fill paddling pools or use sprinklers in gardens.
South East Water’s operations director Douglas Whitfield said: “We are seeing significant increased demand for tap water supplies and we need to act now to preserve our precious resources throughout the summer.
“Although last weekend was the hottest we’ve had so far, we’ve also had dry weather for the last six weeks.
“We’ve not had any significant rainfall since the end of April and this has put considerable pressure on our ability treat, pump and supply water to our all customers.
“Together with increased demand, this has impacted on the amount of treated water we have in our drinking water storage tanks across the regions.
“We’re asking our customers to commit to only using water that’s needed for essentials – things like drinking, cooking and hygiene. If we can all do that for the next few days, we will be able to refill the network much faster. “There’s lots of tips and advice on our website www.southeastwater.co.uk for how our customers can help us – and our communities - by using water wisely and making sure there is enough water for everyone this summer.”
The company is liasing with the area's MP Nus Ghani on water stations and delivering water to "at risk" homes.
Have spoken to families & headteacher dealing with the heat and no water- have again spoken to @sewateruk 👇🏽 to deal with water stations & deliver to ‘at risk’ homes & frankly get the situation sorted- even if it means having a short hose ban to get water into homes and schools. https://t.co/uAfJh8Q5hA
— Nus Ghani MP (@Nus_Ghani) June 13, 2023
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