Boil water notice | Tunbridge Wells

This guidance applies to both household and non-household customers in the affected area.

You must boil tap water before:

• drinking
• preparing or cooking food
• brushing your teeth
• making ice
• preparing drinks (including baby formula, tea and coffee), or
• giving water to pets.

You can still use unboiled tap water for:

• washing hands and showering
• bathing (avoid swallowing water)
• washing clothes in a washing machine, and
• flushing toilets.

We're really sorry for any disruption and/or inconvenience this may cause for you and your business. Your regional water wholesaler, South East Water, is working as quickly as they can to restore normal, high-quality water supplies. We will update this page as soon as new information is available. For live updates, please visit South East Water’s website.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Q: Which areas are affected by the boil water notice?

A: The boil water notice currently applies to customers in parts of Tunbridge Wells where supplies have been affected since 29 November 2025.

The postcodes affected are:

• TN1 1
• TN1 2
• TN2 3
• TN2 5
• TN3 9
• TN4 0
• TN4 9
• TN4 8
• TN11 0

If you live or operate a business in one of these postcodes, you must follow the boil water advice on this page.

Q: What is a boil water notice?

A: A boil water notice means that tap water may not meet your wholesaler’s usual high quality standards. As a precaution, and until the issue is resolved by South East Water, you must boil tap water before drinking it or using it for food and drink preparation.

Q: What should I use boiled water for?

A: Use boiled and cooled water for:

• drinking
• preparing and cooking food
• washing salad, fruit and vegetables
• making baby formula and drinks
• brushing teeth, and
• giving water to pets.

Q: How do I boil water safely?

A:

• Bring tap water to a rolling boil for at least one minute (in a pan or an electric kettle that switches off automatically).

• Allow the water to cool naturally.
• Store it in a clean, covered container.
• Use boiled water within 24 hours.

Q: Can I use unboiled tap water for washing and bathing?

A: Yes. You can use unboiled tap water for:

• washing hands
• showering and bathing (avoid swallowing water, especially for young children)
• washing clothes and household cleaning, and
• flushing toilets.

Q: Can I use my dishwasher?

A: Yes, you can use a dishwasher as normal if you use a hot cycle of 70°C or above.

Q: Do water filters make tap water safe to drink?

A: No. Domestic water filters and filter jugs do not remove all risks and should not be used instead of boiling water. Continue to boil tap water first, even if you use a filter.

Q: Can my pets drink tap water?

A: To be safe, pets should drink boiled and cooled tap water or bottled water while the boil notice is in place.

Q: What about farm animals (for example, cattle and horses)?

A: Farm animals often drink from natural sources such as rivers and streams. The risk to them from drinking unboiled tap water is considered minimal. If you have concerns about valuable or vulnerable animals, you may choose to provide them with boiled and cooled water or seek veterinary advice.

Q: Was the water safe to drink before 12.00pm on Wednesday, 3 December 2025?

A: Yes. The water customers received through their taps up to 12.00pm on Wednesday, 3 December 2025 has been safe to drink.

To ensure customers, who were without water for several days, have water for washing, cleaning and toilet flushing, we have resumed supplies while we work to resolve the underlying issue at the treatment works. As a precaution, we have issued this boil water notice.

Q: When will the boil water notice be lifted?

A: We don’t yet have a confirmed end date from your water wholesaler, South East Water. South East Water will continue to test water quality across the affected network. When they are satisfied that normal high-quality water supplies have been restored, they’ll update their webpage at aqualerter.southeastwater.co.uk, inform us and we will:

• update this page
• remove or change the banner on our website.

Please continue to boil tap water until we explicitly confirm that the boil notice has ended.

Q: What should businesses in the affected area do?

A: All affected businesses must:

• boil tap water before:
  • drinking
  • preparing or cooking food, and
  • washing food such as salad, fruit and vegetables.
• ensure staff and customers only drink boiled or bottled water.
• clearly communicate the boil notice to staff and, where relevant, to customers.

Businesses may still use unboiled tap water for showering, bathing, washing dishes (ideally in a dishwasher with a hot cycle) and flushing toilets.

Q: How are food and drink businesses (pubs, cafés, restaurants) affected?

A: If you have a food and/or drink businesses in the affected area, you can remain open, but please ensure you:

• boil all water used for drinks, food preparation and food washing
• use bottled water as an alternative where preferred
• follow any additional advice from their Local Authority Environmental Health Officers.

If you operate a food or drink business in the affected postcodes, we recommend contacting your

Q: Where can I collect bottled water?

A: Bottled water stations are open for customers and businesses who wish to use bottled water:

• Tunbridge Wells Sports Centre, St John’s Rd, Royal Tunbridge Wells, TN4 9TX
• RCP Parking, Tunbridge Wells, TN2 5TP
• Odeon Cinema, Knights Way, Tunbridge Wells, TN2 3UW.

Q: How are hospitals being supported?

A: Hospitals that were supported with water tankers previously are being supported again with water tankers to ensure they can continue to operate safely.

Q: How are care homes being supported?

A: Care homes in the affected area are being contacted individually by South East Water’s customer care team and will be provided with bottled water.

Q: I feel unwell and live in the affected area - what should I do?

A: If you feel unwell and are concerned it may be related to your water supply, seek advice from NHS 111 or your GP.

Q: What are you doing to resolve the water issue?

A: We are liaising closely with your water wholesaler, South East Water. They are:

• running and closely monitoring the affected treatment works
• carrying out intensive water quality testing
• using an additional 26 water tankers (sourced through mutual aid) to inject more water into the network
• supporting vulnerable customers, hospitals and care homes.

Since Friday, 28 November, South East Water have tankered in more than 8 million litres of water to the network and more than 663,000 litres of bottled water have been distributed in the area.

Q: How can I stay updated?

A: South East Water will provide live updates on their website at: aqualerter.southeastwater.co.uk. And we will update this page as soon as new information is available from them.  

Q: How can I contact you?

If you need more information or support:

• Visit South East Water’s website help pages at aqualerter.southeastwater.co.uk
• Call one of our friendly advisers on 0330 123 2000
• For medical emergencies, always contact NHS 111 or if more urgent, 999.