Hundreds of homes without water face the prospect of the first hosepipe ban in nearly a decade as temperatures across the UK soared into the 30Cs.
South East Water has warned that their demand – which was a record 696million litres last Friday more than 150 million litres more than normal – is not sustainable.
A hosepipe ban has not yet been issued by the water firm but urged customers to not use sprinklers, hoses and jet washers and to only use water for “drinking, hygiene and cooking.”
But Mims Davies, Conservative MP for Mid Sussex, blasted the firm not bringing in a ban quicker after parts of her constituency and growing areas of East Sussex have little or no water - with some households being cut off for six days.
She said: “Why on earth can’t this have been part of a clear action plan to support those down the system with absolutely no water. We are in a sixth day.”
At least 300 households in West Sussex have had no tap water since Friday – and others have had intermittent supplies during the heatwave.
Gary Walker, from Warninglid, Mid Sussex, said he has been forced to "manually remove waste from the toilet and bury it in the garden".
"Watching my parents - who are in their 80s - take water out of a well in the garden to put on their plants and flush their toilet is just heartbreaking.
"It's just upset me so much. People are really suffering."
South East Water, which supplies 2.2 million people across Hampshire, Berkshire, Surrey, Sussex and Kent, has apologised to customers desperate for the ability to drink and clean during the heatwave.
