South East Water spent more on dividends and debt than infrastructure

South East Water has imposed a hosepipe ban because of water shortages, but a significant percentage of water is lost from leaks in water mains. Photograph: Frank Baron/The Guardian

The company which left thousands of households without running water last month spent more on dividends and servicing its debt pile over two years than investing in infrastructure, it has emerged.

South East Water spent £232m on distributing dividends and paying interest on its debts in the two years to March 2022, according to a new analysis.