A water company’s new chief executive faces a busy first day as hosepipe bans, fallouts from multi-million pound fines and ‘real anger and disbelief’ from residents forced to lug bottles to filling stations, fills his inbox.

South East Water, which has more than two million customers across parts of Kent, Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire, and Berkshire, has appointed a new boss who said he expects to spend the first few weeks getting to grips with the challenges the organisation faced.

In April this year, South East Water was given a £76,000 penalty after taking millions of litres of water from the Kent countryside without the permission, while in July it was ordered to pay a £30.5 million penalty after multiple supply failures  regulators said led to  real disruption and hardship for residents and businesses across many years.

This week in Surrey, the company imposed a hosepipe ban as supplies run low, while in Kent residents have to fetch pails of water.

On Thursday, July 23, John Halsall formally took up the post as chief executive officer following regulatory approval at a time the firm described as critical.

He said the task was clear,  deliver a safe, reliable water supply to its customers.

He added: “We know we have not done that well enough. Our customers, communities and stakeholders rightly expect better, and we need to show them that things are changing.

“Since being announced as CEO-Designate, I have spent time listening to colleagues and key stakeholders, understanding the operational challenges facing South East Water and assessing where the business needs to change. 

“That period has reinforced the scale of the challenge, and the need for a reset in how the company delivers for customers.

“My immediate priority is to respond to customers’ concerns about their water service and deliver the short-term improvements we can make now, while strengthening resilience for the future.

“This transformation will not be easy, and people will rightly judge us by our actions, not our words. We need to show customers clear improvements and better service.

“That is why, on my first day as CEO, I am making three pledges to customers. I want customers to judge me on how I am able to fix issues with day to day performance, drive operational excellence and ensure a transparent and authentic engagement with customers, stakeholders and regulators.

“Over the longer term, I will ensure that we embed customer centricity in the organisation, transform the business by making it fit for the future, whilst delivering the largest ever investment programme in the company’s history. 

“The work of turning around South East Water starts now.”

Mr Halsall  has previously worked as chief operating officer Pennon Group, where he was responsible for water and wastewater operations across.

He has also held senior roles at Network Rail, including leading rail infrastructure and spent 17 years at Thames Water in engineering, asset management, capital delivery and water services roles.