Proposals for a set of pipelines to serve the new Havant Thicket Reservoir in Hampshire have been approved by Havant Borough Council’s Planning Committee.

The reservoir is being built, and will be operated, by Portsmouth Water. It is designed to support Southern Water to reduce its abstraction from two rare and sensitive chalk-based rivers – the Test and the Itchen, whilst improving water resilience for the region for decades to come.

Construction of the new pipelines is now set to begin in the next few months. One pipeline will be used to transport surplus spring water from Bedhampton to Havant Thicket Reservoir so it can be stored. The second pipeline will enable water to be drawn out again, when it’s needed to supply customers during a drought.

Bob Taylor, Portsmouth Water’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “We would like to thank the members of Havant Borough Council’s Planning Committee for their careful consideration and approval of our application for the new pipelines, a key milestone in delivering the overall Havant Thicket Reservoir project and the benefits it will provide.

“We have worked hard, together with our contractor Ward &amp; Burke, to develop a detailed pipeline design, taking into account public feedback from the consultations we have held. Having two pipes in place will mean the reservoir could continue to operate if maintenance was required on one of the pipelines, increasing the resilience of the scheme as a whole. In addition, our plan will minimise disruption to local communities and the environment while this important new infrastructure is being installed as much of the pipeline route will be tunnelled, avoiding the need to dig up roads and public areas.”

Mr Taylor continued: “As we prepare to start constructing the pipelines later this year, we remain committed to engaging closely with residents and businesses in Havant, to make sure everyone understands when we will be carrying out work in their area and what measures will be in place to ensure there’s as little disruption or inconvenience as possible.

“For example, we will be writing to people to provide further information, advertising locally and holding public drop-in sessions, where members of the community can come and talk to our team in person and find out more.”

It is important to note that the approved reservoir pipelines planning application provides permission for the pipes to transport only spring water to and from Havant Thicket Reservoir.

In the future, the pipelines could potentially also be used by Southern Water, if it receives consent for its water recycling scheme, known as the Hampshire Water Transfer and Water Recycling Project. This would involve supplementing Havant Thicket Reservoir with purified recycled water, enabling the reservoir to supply more water.

This will be particularly important in future years, as water companies continue to reduce their abstraction from the environment, particularly the precious chalk streams and aquifers in the South East. Identifying new, sustainable supplies of water which don’t rely on environmental sources will be key going forward.

Installing two pipelines will not give Southern Water permission to add recycled water to Havant Thicket Reservoir. It will still need to secure separate approval for its water recycling proposals. However, installing this infrastructure now would avoid the additional disruption and costs involved in building a further pipeline to carry recycled water to the reservoir.

More information about Havant Thicket Reservoir can be found online at: <a href="https://havant-thicket-reservoir.uk.engagementhq.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">havant-thicket-reservoir.uk.engagementhq.com</a>