David Hinton has announced plans to step down as chief executive of South East Water after a bruising stretch of criticism over repeated water outages and the company’s leadership. South East Water said Hinton would remain in post until a successor is found, saying the move would allow an orderly transition over the summer.

Hinton’s exit comes just one week after Chris Train resigned as non-executive chair, following a scathing report by MPs. The company has been under intense pressure since thousands of customers across Kent and Sussex were left unable to access tap water, shower or flush their toilets during supply interruptions between November and January.

Emma Reynolds said: “This must mark the beginning of positive change at South East Water, where customers’ needs are prioritised and there is a stop to supply outages.” Alistair Carmichael said: “David Hinton has made the right decision for the long-term good of South East Water’s customers and the company.” He also warned that “The Efra committee will be keeping South East Water within its sights,” underlining how closely the issue remains under scrutiny.

Hinton joined the South East Water board in 2013, and the company said he had confirmed there had been no disagreement with the board relating to his resignation. South East Water’s board said last week that new independent board leadership was now required to oversee a critical period of positive, transformative change for the company, its customers and local communities.

The changes follow two appearances by South East Water bosses before MPs on the environment, food and rural affairs committee, where they were grilled over the response to the outages. Last Friday, the committee published a report saying the company was devoid of proper leadership and riddled with cultural problems. It also said leadership teams play a major role in how company culture develops, a pointed rebuke for a utility that has struggled to reassure customers after the outages.

Dry Wells Action has pressed for the chief executive’s departure and for consumers to be appointed to the board as non-executive directors. Lisa Clement, the independent non-executive director and interim chair, said: “On behalf of the board, I would like to thank Dave for his many years of loyal dedication and service to South East Water Limited.” The question now is not whether South East Water will face change, but whether its new leadership can restore confidence after months in which thousands of customers lost a basic service and MPs lost patience.