Public consultation over Portsmouth Water’s new pipeline plans linking Bedhampton Springs and Havant Thicket Reservoir

Portsmouth Water is calling on customers to have their say on updated plans for pipelines connecting the Bedhampton Springs with Havant Thicket Reservoir.

The company is holding a public consultation on its plans from 6 November to 18 December 2023, with public drop-in events taking place on 11 November and 16 November.

Since the previous consultation in February and March this year, Portsmouth Water has been exploring how the Havant Thicket Reservoir scheme could be improved to increase resilience and potentially minimise disruption for residents and the project’s impact on the environment.

The company is now proposing to install two separate pipelines to pump spring water to the reservoir and draw it out when needed. This would offer Portsmouth Water greater flexibility to respond to more frequent, longer droughts. It would also mean the scheme could continue to operate if maintenance was required on one of the pipelines.

The pipelines could also potentially be used by Southern Water in the future, if it receives planning permission for its water recycling scheme, known as the Hampshire Water Transfer and Water Recycling Project. This would involve supplementing Havant Thicket Reservoir with highly treated recycled water, enabling it to supply up to 90 million litres per day, on top of the 21 million litres that the approved scheme will provide.

Installing two pipelines would not give Southern Water permission to add recycled water to Havant Thicket Reservoir. They still need to secure separate approval for their Hampshire Water Transfer and Water Recycling scheme.

Ruari Maybank, Project Director for Portsmouth Water, said: “The Havant Thicket Reservoir project is all about protecting the River Test and River Itchen in Hampshire, two rare and sensitive chalk streams, as well as making sure there’s enough water for a growing population in the decades ahead.

“A combined approach has benefits for Portsmouth Water and also means that, if proposals for water recycling are agreed in the future, residents won’t need to experience additional disruption. We want to be very clear that installing two pipelines would not give Southern Water permission to add recycled water to Havant Thicket Reservoir. They still need to secure separate approval for their Hampshire Water Transfer and Water Recycling scheme, and will be consulting the public on this in 2024.”

People can comment on Portsmouth Water’s pipeline plans online at havant-thicket-reservoir.uk.engagementhq.com or by attending a public drop-in event.

The two public consultation drop-in sessions are being held at the following venues:

– 10am to 4pm, 11 November 2023, Meridian Shopping Centre, Havant

– 3-6pm, 16 November 2023, Leigh Park Community Centre, Havant.

All the feedback received during the consultation will help shape Portsmouth Water’s planning application to Havant Borough Council. The planning application will only seek permission for the company to transport spring water from Bedhampton to the reservoir, and back again. Micro-tunnelling would be used to build the majority of pipe tunnels, avoiding the need to dig up roads.

A completely separate planning application (for a Development Consent Order) needs to be submitted by Southern Water for the Hampshire Water Transfer and Water Recycling Project. Only if Southern Water received planning consent for the water recycling scheme, would they be able to share the pipelines.