We have today launched our draft water resource management plan for consultation inviting customers and stakeholders alike to have a say about how we plan to secure their water supplies for the next 25 years. The consultation lasts until 25th May 2018.

The draft plan proposes how we will secure resilient water supplies for our customers for the next 25 years. We have considered how much water we have available today, how much we need to supply in the future and then developed a number of options to make up any difference. These plans are updated every five years to make sure they always reflect the latest information, innovation and customer views. In addition to meeting the needs of our own customers we have been asked to provide more water through bulk transfers to our neighbouring Water Companies who will have less water available for supply in the future than we have.

The plan for meeting our future needs includes proposal to reduce leakage by 15%, install more water meters to help customers to save water. We have also looked at our current water resources and as a result propose to build a new reservoir at Havant Thicket – to store water, create a nature reserve and provide community facilities as well as allowing us to provide valuable water resources for the south east region in general.

Neville Smith, Managing Director of Portsmouth Water said on the launch on the consultation,

“We have already held conversations with customers about their water supplies and what’s important to them and these have been taken into account in this draft plan. An exciting part of our plan is a new major water resource for the South East – a reservoir at Havant Thicket. This reservoir will help us share our other water resources with other water companies and increase the reliability of our customer supplies. We do not expect building this new resource to have any impact on customers’ bills as it will be funded by charges for the transfer of water from our other resources to neighbouring companies. What is important now is for customers to have their say. We want to hear from as many as them as possible. This can be done by visiting our website at <a href="https://www.portsmouthwater.co.uk/news/publications/water-resources-planning/your-water-and-its-future/">www.portsmouthwater.co.uk</a> where they can read our plan in more detail and then let us know their views by answering our short questionnaire. It’s our customer’s water and their views will help us decide how we plan for the future.”

The plan focuses on the next 25 years so we can be confident that we are ready for the challenges of an increase in housing, population growth and climate change at the same time as improving the environment and supporting communities, businesses and industry to flourish.

The measures in this plan will not increase customer bills beyond the rate of inflation, meaning our bills will remain the lowest in the country. Visit www.portsmouthwater.co.uk and have your say on how we will secure drinking water supplies for the next 25 years.

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