Southern Water says most Isle of Sheppey residents should have water now after taps ran dry.

Swale council declared a major incident after homes and businesses were left without a supply amid the heatwave.

Bottled water stations were back open today as a "precaution" after the shortage started on Tuesday - leaving about 30,000 people without water.

Southern Water has now announced that the final water station, in Sports Direct, Neats Court Retail Park, will be closing at 6pm tonight.

They said: "We’re sorry again for the disruption caused over the last few days. We appreciate how difficult it’s been for everyone without water during this time.

The company also apologised after admitting it was taking longer than expected to restore supplies in what has been one of the hottest weeks on record. But the firm said yesterday repairs had been completed.

Taps ran dry following a fault in the main pipeline that carries the Island's water from the mainland.

The initial Southern Water mains pipe burst was repaired overnight on Wednesday, but during the network refill in the early hours of the morning, a second burst occurred.

Buildings including schools, libraries, children’s centres, and the Sheerness Gateway had been closed because of the water shortage.

The Sheppey Crossing was closed on Wednesday afternoon to allow a special water pump to be installed to get emergency supplies to the island to fight fires.

Supermarkets like Tesco were forced to shut up shop and even the Island's swimming pool in Sheerness had to close as there was no water for toilets.

Southern Water has told residents low pressure or discolouration of water is normal if they are back in supply.

Yesterday it was announced those affected will automatically receive at least £30 in compensation which could cost the company at least £2 million.

The privately-owned utilities firm has had a customer charter since October 2020 which sets out minimum standards of service residents can expect and compensation payments as agreed by the regulator Ofwat.

In the case of a burst pipe, the company aims to restore supplies within 12 hours. If it fails, customers will automatically have £30 paid into their account and another £30 for each additional 12 hours of interruption.

A bottle bank was opened in a car park behind an amusement arcade in Leysdown to hand out free water.

But soon cars were backing up along the Promenade as residents hunting for water joined throngs of mystified holidaymakers who had also been left without a supply in the Island's many caravan parks.

The water shortage was caused by at least two large leaks on the main pipe taking water onto the Island from the mainland.

A Southern Water spokesman said: "Identifying all properties and customers affected by an interruption can be difficult. Where this is the case, people who have been affected but not contacted by us should make a claim within three months."

If the company fails to get in touch within 20 working days of the interruption, customers may be entitled to a further penalty payment of £20 which will be automatically credited to their account.

It is understood companies which lost income when they were forced to close will have to claim separately.

It is not known how much the the total claim will cost the company but it is estimated it could run to £2 million for domestic homes alone.