'I'm giving Airbnb guests buckets to flush toilet'

A woman running an Airbnb in West Sussex says she has been giving guests buckets to flush the toilets as water supply issues continue.

Up to 700 customers were left without water, or with an intermittent supply, after problems during routine maintenance at a reservoir started affecting supplies on Friday.

Rosie Wiltshire, who runs her Airbnb in Balcombe, said she had been warning guests about the water issues in advance of their arrival.

Matthew Dean, head of operations in Sussex for South East Water, apologised to those affected and said most customers should now have water.

Ms Wiltshire told BBC Radio Sussex there were some water butts at her property.

"I can't be flushing their loo, it's a personal thing," she said.

"I've been checking them in with a bucket and saying: 'This is what you do with the bucket to flush the loo'."

She has also been pre-warning guests they will not be able to shower, particularly important for those who use it for a stopover for Gatwick Airport.

"When you come off a long-haul flight it's quite nice to have a shower," she said.

Ms Wiltshire said the supply seemed to have returned to her property, but that the last time she check the water company's online information, it did not say the issue was resolved.

"We're slightly holding our breath as to what will happen," she said.

But she added that her guests had been "incredibly nice" and that she had "bent over backwards" to help with other aspects of their stay.

Conservative MP for East Grinstead and Uckfield, Mims Davies, described the situation as "a horror show".

She said when the issue had occurred during maintenance at a reservoir it "took some time to realise something had gone wrong" and to work out what it was.

She criticised South East Water's communications on the issues, saying the company had not "bothered telling people what's going on".

A South East Water spokesperson said: "We've been sending tankers to the area to inject the mains pipes with water since Friday evening and will continue to do so until the supply has returned to normal.

"Most customers should now be back in supply and the water pressures in the area have stabilised as we continue to use the tankers to inject water directly into our network."

The said; "Customers entitled to a compensation payment under our guaranteed standards scheme will automatically receive a credit on their water supply .

"For business customers the credit will be made by their retailer."

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