South East Water has announced it has launched a ‘major new emergency support system’, which aims to protect livestock and give farmers in its supply area a safety net during unplanned water outages.

The company made the announcement on the afternoon of Thursday, July 9, as temperatures in Sussex hit about 29°C. The forecast, according to the Met Office, is expected to be dry with temperatures in the high 20s for the next several days.

South East Water said its new framework outlines a ‘rapid, structured deployment of emergency water supplies’, which is tailored to the needs of local livestock handlers across parts of Sussex, Hampshire, Berkshire, Surrey, and Kent. South East Water covers Mid Sussex and most of East Sussex, except Lewes and Hastings, which are covered by Southern Water.

The company said the livestock register has been developed using lessons that have been learned from previous water supply interruptions and feedback from livestock owners.

South East Water has launched a new emergency support system to protect livestock and give farmers a safety net during unplanned water outages. Photo: South East Water

placeholder image — South East Water has launched a new emergency support system to protect livestock and give farmers a safety net during unplanned water outages. Photo: South East Water

Douglas Whitfield, Water Supply Director at South East Water, said: “We know we need to make improvements and we’re committed to doing things better. We recognise that disruptions to the water supply present a direct threat to livestock welfare and agricultural livelihoods. Following lessons learned and feedback from previous incidents, this new approach gives our local farming community the support they need when unexpected disruptions happen.”

South East Water said the plan means critical support will be ‘on the ground’ within 48 hours of an outage, adding that emergency teams will prioritise areas facing the highest animal welfare risks.

The company’s announcement continued: “For livestock owners who have six or more animals, the drinking water company will deliver direct water support tailored to the setup of the farm. Depending on the individual needs, the business will use reasonable endeavours provide water through either emergency bottled water for young or vulnerable stock, mobile bowsers (mobile water tanks used to transport and dispense drinking water), strategically placed static tanks, and direct bulk tanker deliveries straight into on-farm storage tanks.

“For smallholders, with five or fewer animals, during a water outage, the drinking water company will set up filling points as close to the affected area as possible to provide quick, easy access to bulk and bottled water for self-collection. This enables smallholders to easily fill storage units such as water bowsers.Although South East Water is providing this emergency support, it is still encouraging anyone with livestock to have their own contingency plans in place such as on-farm water storage.

“Livestock owners in South East Water’s supply areas, from commercial farms to private smallholders, are encouraged to register their details online via South East Water’s website – business.southeastwater.co.uk/livestocksupport .”