Key Facts
Location: Biddenden Road and Bethersden Road, Smarden
Work: Installing approx. one kilometre of pipeline
Starts: Monday 5 January 2026
Duration: Approx. 14 weeks
Investment: £500,000
We’re planning to lay around one kilometres of new pipeline to replace two existing water mains in Bethersden Road and Biddenden Road, Smarden.
The existing pipelines are burst-prone, having required 11 repairs in the last five years. By replacing these with a new section of pipework, your water supply will be more reliable, and we can reduce the amount of water lost to leaks and bursts.
When will work start and how long will it take?
We’re currently planning to start this project on Monday 5 January 2026. We expect the work to take around 14 weeks to complete.
Our team will work Monday to Friday, with weekend work if required.
Will there be roadworks?
For the safety of the public and our team, we’ll need to close Biddenden Road and Bethersden Road while we carry out this vital work. Work will be south and west from the junction where these two roads meet.
The two roads will not be closed at the same time, and we’ll be working in phases along each road to minimise the impact on the community. We’re planning to start on Biddenden Road, working east towards the junction, and then south along Bethersden Road.
We know road closures can be disruptive and they are a last resort, however safety is at the forefront of our minds. Diversion routes, agreed with Kent Highways, will be signposted for the duration and can be seen below.
Diversion for Biddenden Road
Diversion for Bethersden Road
Map Key
Red line - closure
Blue line - diversion route
FAQs
We want to make the water supply in Smarden more reliable by replacing two existing water mains in Bethersden Road and Biddenden Road with a single new pipeline.
The existing mains have suffered 27 bursts, 11 of which were in the last four years, causing interruptions, discolouration and low pressure issues, which we know is unacceptable.
We’re currently planning to start this project on Monday 5 January 2026. We expect the work to take around 14 weeks to complete.
For the safety of the public and our team, we’ll need to close Biddenden Road and Bethersden Road while we carry out this vital work. We’ll be working south and west of the junction where these two roads meet.
The two roads will not be closed at the same time, and we’ll be working in phases along each road to minimise the impact on the community. We’re planning to start on Biddenden Road, working east towards the junction, and then south along Bethersden Road.
We know road closures can be disruptive and they are a last resort, however safety is at the forefront of our minds. Diversion routes, agreed with Kent Highways, will be signposted for the duration and published on our website.
There may be a short interruption to supply when we need to connect the new pipeline to the existing main. However, we’ll let anyone affected by this know at least 48 hours in advance, and whenever possible will avoid peak times of water usage.
Customers with additional needs be it a disability, mental health or financial concerns can sign up to our Priority Services Register to help us understand how we can help you. More information can be found at southeastwater.co.uk/priority
This webpage will be updated as work progresses, but if you have any concerns during the work, the staff on site will be happy to answer any questions you may have. If you would like to speak to us in advance, please call our advisors on 0333 000 1100 or email us at customerservices@southeastwater.co.uk
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