Desperate families were forced to flush toilets with paddling pool water and use dog poo bags to defecate in as a water crisis hit homes across Whitstable and Herne Bay, it has emerged.
The two towns suffered days of disruption during last month’s heatwave, with councillors demanding answers from South East Water after the taps ran dry in more than 10,000 homes.
And now Canterbury City Council has voted to summon the company’s boss to a public meeting.
The unanimous decision follows harrowing accounts from residents who went up to six days without running water amid soaring temperatures.
Cllr Chris Cornell told a cabinet meeting how one 103-year-old woman – who needs to bathe twice a day for a skin condition – was left unable to wash.
He said another mum had to scoop water from a paddling pool to flush the toilet, while a couple became so desperate they “considered digging a hole outside to use as a loo”.
The meeting was told that another woman had to ask her five-year-old daughter to defecate into a dog poo bag as “she couldn’t put any more waste down the toilet”.
The outages struck homes across the district earlier this month and during the hottest day of the year on July 1, when temperatures soared to 34 degrees.
Bottled water had to be handed out to hundreds of people from makeshift distribution points, including Sainsbury’s in Herne Bay.
At Thursday’s cabinet meeting, Labour councillor Naomi Smith proposed a motion calling on the council to formally write to South East Water CEO David Hinton, asking him to attend a public meeting.
She also urged that the company commit to improving communication during future emergency incidents, report to a scrutiny committee within 12 months, and invest in new infrastructure.
It came as councillors raised growing fears about climate change and the impact of future housing developments on already stretched supplies.
Cllr James Flanagan (Lib Dem) said: “South East Water said that they had planned for the recent hot weather, but that, and I quote, daily demand for water across our network was far higher than expected.
“Now that’s quite a concerning statement when we consider the future impact of climate change, and the fact that this council, and other councils, are under pressure to build more houses across our districts.
“If South East Water can’t meet the current level of demand, what does that mean about future supply?”
Cllr Paul Prentice (Lab) branded the water network “not fit for purpose”, adding: “I would like to hear from South East Water.
“I’d like to hear exactly what is being done to address the situation, not just to a select group of people, but to everyone who has an interest in this issue, and there are many, many of them.”
Cllr Rachel Carnac (Con) said major infrastructure improvements must be fast-tracked.
“We need to go full out now and make sure the Broad Oak Reservoir is delivered,” she said.
“We have to really make sure that some of these infrastructure projects now aren’t delayed and don’t go into the 2030s.
“We really must focus on delivering the resources that people need.”
South East Water has said work on the reservoir is progressing but that it is not expected to be completed until 2035.
Douglas Whitfield, water supply director at South East Water said: “Firstly we would like to apologise once again for the issues that were experienced around Canterbury and Whitstable at the beginning of July.
“We know we fell short of the standards expected of ourselves. We have taken valuable learnings from this event and promise to do better in the future.
“We are aware of the meeting request from Canterbury City Council and will certainly look to talk to all parties concerned to arrange a suitable date and time.
“We are actively coordinating with local MPs around similar issues, who are equally keen to hold a meeting with those involved in the community.
“We will, of course, keep local councillors and residents updated.”
