The chief executive of South East Water has said he will forgo his bonus after a period of what he described as “unacceptable outages” that left thousands of customers in Kent and Sussex without water.
David Hinton told MPs on the environment, food and rural affairs select committee that he had decided not to accept an additional “performance payment” this year. As a result, he will receive only his £400,000 salary.
The decision comes after widespread disruption affecting customers across Kent and Sussex. Hinton’s comments were made as he gave evidence to the committee, where the company’s handling of the outages was under scrutiny.
By declining the bonus, Hinton said he was acting in response to the scale of the disruption. The move means his pay for the year will be limited to his base salary, rather than including the extra payment that would otherwise have been available.
South East Water has faced criticism over the outages, which left many households without water. The chief executive’s decision is intended to signal accountability following the incident.
The matter was raised in the context of broader concerns about service reliability and the impact of water supply failures on customers. For those affected, the outages caused major inconvenience and disruption to daily life.
Hinton’s evidence to MPs placed the company’s response and leadership decisions in the spotlight. His choice to refuse the bonus is likely to be seen as a gesture acknowledging the seriousness of the situation.
