River Itchen

In response to the continuing rise in demand for water in the 1960s, the Company constructed its only surface water abstraction facility at Gaters Mill on the River Itchen.

The abstraction point is just 1 km above the tidal limit at Woodmill and was constructed in this location to minimise the impact on river flows. Although a high quality salmon and trout river, the basic river quality still requires a sophisticated treatment process to convert the river water into drinking water.

As the Works is outside the Company's area, it requires a 14 km pipeline from Gaters Mill to Wickham to enable the treated water to supply the Company's customers in Fareham, Gosport and Waterlooville.

The Company is licensed to abstract up to 45 million litres of water from the river each day.