Kent's water companies are facing a legal challenge over their plans for future drinking supplies.

Kent County Council’s Cabinet today called on the Environment Secretary Hilary Benn to hold a public inquiry.

Members were concerned customers could be hit by higher bills if the water suppliers failed to work more closely together during mass housing expansion.

Instead, KCC is calling for a tariff on new developments to pay for better water efficiency for existing homes.

At the same time, the council wants vulnerable families protected against higher bills if compulsory metering is introduced in future.

KCC Leader and Cabinet Chairman Paul Carter said:

“There is a great danger of houses being built without adequate water supplies and sewerage facilities.

“We have major concerns that the five Kent water companies have not yet come up with satisfactory plans to deliver effective water supplies and sewerage disposal facilities to run in advance of the massive housing growth agenda planned by the Government for Kent.

"At present, 6,600 homes a year are being recommended in Kent and Medway until 2026."

Five water companies provide supplies to Kent residents – South East, Folkestone and Dover, Southern, Thames, and Sutton and East Surrey.

Their plans for the next 25 years until 2035 are under review and have to be approved by the Secretary of State.

Meyrick Gough, Southern Water’s Water Planning and Strategy Manager and member of the Water In the South East (WISE) group, which represents all Kent’s water suppliers, said: “Water companies in the South East as a matter of routine work closely together and with the Environment Agency (EA) and other stakeholders on both planning and operational matters.

“Currently the companies are working with the EA, Ofwat and Defra to derive a regional solution for the South East. This process has been in practice since 1997 and has been used to formulate regional strategies for the past ten years. We outlined this process in our plans and also at the joint meeting with Kent County Council and representatives from Kent’s district and borough councils.

“Companies have the responsibility to provide secure and sustainable high quality water supplies to meet projected demand and each of the water companies’ 25-year draft Water Resources Management Plans (WRMP) detail how this will be done.

“We welcome Kent County Council’s views and input into WRMP consultations. We note their call for a Public Inquiry, but there is an established process to address these concerns. The WRMPs are already subject to detailed review by Government, regulators, other agencies and public scrutiny.

“Plans are put out to public consultation with full participation by consumer groups including the Consumer Council for Water and representations can come from the widest possible range of groups and from individuals.”