Herne Bay Water: Rates, Meters & Billing Information

If you just moved and have some Herne Bay water questions, you will be able to find who handles Herne Bay's water supply as well as wastewater services in the information below. Additionally, we have tips on how to deal with Herne Bay's water hardness so that you can enjoy quality tap water in your home.

Herne Bay Water Supplier

Herne Bay water is supplied by one water company, South East Water. Here are the contact details for your Herne Bay water supplier:

Herne Bay sewerage and wastewater is handled by Southern Water. Here are Herne Bay's sewerage and wastewater contact details:

Be aware that calls to numbers starting with 03 may be charged at local rates by your phone company.

Where does Herne Bay water come from?

Two-thirds of the water that South East Water provides comes from underground aquifers, while the remaining third comes from a combination of reservoirs and rivers. The source of your water can change throughout the year; for example in periods of low rainfall as the surface water supply lessens, South East Water will draw from the underground aquifer supply until further rain can replenish the surface water sources. The water quality from all of these sources is closely monitored at all times to ensure its quality.

Water Rates Herne Bay

Water rates in Herne Bay depend on whether your home has a water meter. You can easily find out whether your Herne Bay water rates are metered or not by looking at your water bill. Homes with metered Herne Bay water rates will have a meter number listed on their water bills. If this is not displayed on the bill, often the account number can also indicate the presence of a water meter. For example, if the account number starts with MC (Metered Customer), this would mean that your property has a water meter. If the account number begins with UC (Unmetered Customer), then your home would not have a water meter.

Homes that are not metered won't, but they will have something called a rateable value of the home instead. The rateable value part of your Herne Bay water rates will have been determined by the local council in the 90s and will probably not have changed much since then. This value is based on several factors, such as property size and the availability of local services. The value is also subject to review every five years so that it can take into consideration any relevant changes to the property or other factors that could influence your home's consumption.

If you've just moved in or you don't have a bill handy, you can look outside your house or in the front garden for a meter. Sometimes the meter may be located inside your house near the stop tap or outside in the garden.

Do you want to read more about water meters? Check out Selectra's essential guide to water meters.

The average water rates Herne Bay residents are being charged result in an average water bill of around £418 a year. This amount combines both water supply and sewerage costs.

If you want to save money on your water bill then our handy guide to water rates in the UK will give you some great tips & tricks to lower your water bill.

Herne Bay Water Hardness

Herne Bay's water hardness is rated as hard water. While rainwater itself is relatively soft, water hardness can change through the water cycle. Due to the way water filters through rocks in South Eastern Water's supply area, Herne Bay water picks up minerals, such as magnesium or calcium, on the way to your tap.

Herne Bay water's hard rating means that the hard water in your home will lead to scaling in kettles, sinks, dishwashers and loos. There are ways to mitigate hard water furring or scaling in Herne Bay.

1. Clothing - Liquid detergents should be used over powder detergents due to them being generally more effective at resisting water hardness and preventing soap scum. Additionally, you should regularly clean your washing machine by adding baking soda and white vinegar directly into the drum and setting it to a hot wash. Make sure to wipe down the drum thoroughly afterwards. This process limits and removes limescale build-up.
2. Dishwashers - Take advantage of the built-in water softener. Make sure you regularly top off it off with dishwasher salt in the appropriate compartment.
3. Baths, sinks and toilets - Be sure that you clean these areas with an acidic sanitiser often. This will help to reduce and slow the accumulation of limescale deposits.
4. Kettles - Do not overfill your kettle with water. Make sure that you clean your kettle by half-filling and adding two tablespoons of white vinegar, leaving it for four hours to loosen scale build-up. Rinse and repeat to remove scale.

Can you drink the water in Herne Bay?

Yes! You can drink the water in Herne Bay. The UK Drinking Water Inspectorate has scored Herne Bay's water quality a 99.96% in overall mean zonal compliance, meaning that your water is safe to drink. It is not necessary to boil or filter Herne Bay's water to make it potable.

Occasionally your water can change in its qualities such as taste. The majority of the time this is no cause for concern, such as in the following instances:

1. Chlorination is a safe way to ensure hygiene throughout the pipe network. This helps to limit bacterial presence and build-ups to prevent risks to health.
2. Seasonal changes in water characteristics can infuse Herne Bay's water with an earthy smell or taste. Your waters source can change throughout the year. As each location will have a slightly different mineral composition and cleansing process, this can cause small variations in your water's flavour.
3. Plumbing can contribute to the taste of your household water, adding metallic, salty or rubbery hints.

If however you feel that the quality of your water has changed to a high degree or you are concerned about its health, please do not hesitate to contact South East Water, who will be able to provide you with further support.

Herne Bay Water Problems

Water problems in Herne Bay could potentially include anything from your water supply ceasing, flooding or a burst pipe in the road. It is important that you know what to do and who to contact should you encounter a water problem.

If you notice a water leak or flooding outside your Herne Bay property, you need to do one of the following:

1. If you are out and about, contact South East Water or Southern Water on social media depending on if the issue relates to the water supplied to your home, or sewage/wastewater. If the issue is more urgent or poses a risk to health or property, you should call the relevant company so that they can take action as soon as possible.
2. If you are near a computer, go to the "report a leak" section of the South East Water or Southern Water websites as appropriate and fill out the online form.

Herne Bay No Water

If you have no water in your home, you need to find out if the issue is to do with your home plumbing or a South East Water outage impacting Herne Bay.

1. Check the "In Your Area" sections of the South East Water website for any information explaining why you have no water and when you can expect your supply to resume.
2. Check that your stop tap is open. If this is in the closed position, turning it to the open position should allow water to resume flowing to your taps.
3. Ask your neighbours whether they have the same issue as you. If they are experiencing the same issue, then this likely relates to a fault with your water companies supply.

If you have no water is it only no cold water or no hot water. If you have cold water but no hot water, the issue will be with your home plumbing and not the water company.

If there is no cold water, not even a trickle, contact South East Water for assistance.

Herne Bay Water Discolouration

If the water in your home is discoloured, the issue might be a South East Water issue impacting Herne Bay.

1. Changes to the colour of the water in Herne Bay may happen after a burst pipe has been repaired.
2. Alternately, South East Water could have been carrying out upgrade work on the pipes in Herne Bay.
3. Water Discolouration is not harmful and can often be cleared by running the cold water from each tap for a minute until it becomes clear.

If there is no improvement after trying this, you can contact South East Water for assistance.