Frequently Asked Questions
Why are Portsmouth Water and Southern Water working together on Havant Thicket Reservoir?
We’re a community-orientated company and pride ourselves on doing the right thing. This includes helping our neighbour to supply its customers with water, so it can reduce what it takes from the River Test and River Itchen, helping protect these rare and sensitive environments.
• Water is scarce in the South-East, with the region officially classed by the Environment Agency as ‘water stressed’. Yet the impacts of climate change and population growth are increasing, and there is a need to leave more water in the environment to benefit nature.
• Southern Water has agreed to take less water from world-renowned chalk streams, the River Test and the River Itchen in Hampshire. This will leave the company with a daily deficit of 192 million litres of water in its Hampshire supply area in the event of prolonged dry weather.
• We are in a position to help with a solution to this major challenge. This is because of the large number of natural springs in the Havant area which provide 30 per cent of the water we supply to our customers. These springs deliver a high quality, sustainable supply of water all year round and are thought to be the largest individual source of spring water in Europe.
Already approved reservoir scheme
• We’re fortunate to have more water than we need at certain times of the year. In the winter, and during periods of high rainfall, there is a surplus of water from the springs in the Havant area, over and above what we need for our customers. This surplus currently flows straight out to sea.
• We can make better use of this surplus water by storing it in Havant Thicket Reservoir in Havant, which we are building and will operate. The reservoir will enable us to provide up to 21 million litres of water a day to Southern Water, when needed.
• We received planning permission for the reservoir project, as described above, in late 2021.
Water recycling proposals
• As part of water companies’ legal responsibility to plan for the future, together with Southern Water and the rest of the water sector, we have been exploring solutions to supply our region with sustainable sources of water and take further steps to protect and improve our environment.
• This has involved looking at different options, including adding highly-treated recycled water to Havant Thicket Reservoir to supplement water levels, so it could provide more water during droughts. Adding recycled water to the reservoir would secure up to 90 million litres a day extra.
• Recycled water is highly treated, purified water, which in most respects would be cleaner than the spring water feeding into the reservoir.
• The water recycling proposals are known as the Hampshire Water Transfer and Water Recycling Project and are subject to further consultation, as well as approval by regulators and further planning permission being required.
Who will operate / control Havant Thicket Reservoir, both for the already approved scheme and if the water recycling scheme goes ahead?
With the exception of rainfall that naturally flows in from surrounding land, we will be in control of the reservoir, including any water that enters or leaves it. That’s for both the already approved scheme and should the water recycling proposals go ahead.
• We already closely monitor and analyse water quality at our existing operational sites and the same would be the case for Havant Thicket Reservoir.
• Any issues with water quality would be quickly identified and the system would be shut down if needed – in line with requirements from industry regulators.
How does water recycling fit into overall water resources planning for the decades ahead, including what other options are being taken forward?
Water resources planning is no longer a local water company issue and the whole industry will increasingly trade larger and larger volumes of water across boundaries between water companies.
In the South East of England, once Havant Thicket Reservoir is built and the surplus water from Bedhampton springs is put to good use, the only additional sustainable sources of water capable of supplying the large quantities needed in the future, based on our current knowledge, are desalinated seawater and treated wastewater.
Southern Water is working to minimise leakage, reduce the amount of water people typically use and is building up to 125km of new pipelines to link up its key water supply sites and allow additional transfers from neighbouring water companies.
However, these measures alone will not be enough to supply the water needed by Southern Water and a new, sustainable source of water is still required.
• Southern Water is pursuing a range of solutions to tackle the daily 192 million litres shortfall in water supplies it’s facing in Hampshire, and keep the county’s taps and rivers flowing.
• Like Portsmouth Water, it has pledged to halve leakage by 2050.
• We are looking to install smart meters in all homes and commercial premises in our area, to help our customers use less water by 2040. These smart meters will also help us find and fix leaks in homes and businesses.
• Southern Water was the first UK water company to introduce universal water metering back in 2009. It is also supporting and incentivising its customers to reduce their water use to 100 litres a person, per day (from a daily average of 129 litres).
• Southern Water explored the option of building a desalination plant at Fawley in the New Forest in Hampshire, taking water from the Solent.
• Following a public consultation, this was not pursued due to the potential environmental impact caused by the stream of highly-concentrated salty water (brine) produced during the desalination process, that would need to be pumped back into the sea.
• As a result, the desalination plant was concluded to be undeliverable, so Southern Water switched to its back-up option of water transfer and water recycling.
• Supplementing Havant Thicket Reservoir with recycled water would enable it to provide up to 90 million litres a day extra to Southern Water, on top of the 21 million litres a day that can be provided via the already approved reservoir scheme.
Why wasn’t water recycling part of the planning application for the already approved Havant Thicket Reservoir scheme?
We were consistently open and upfront about these proposals during our original planning application process, answering questions as best we could with the limited information available at the time.
• Information was shared about water recycling during the planning process for the original Havant Thicket Reservoir scheme. During one of the Planning Committee hearings, elected members raised questions about the scheme and it was highlighted that any changes to the project set out in the original application would require separate planning approval in their own right, as is still the case.
• Much information was also publicised ahead of both Planning Committee meetings through Southern Water’s consultation on its desalination proposals which ran from February to April 2021.
How would Havant Thicket Reservoir operate, both under the approved scheme and if the water recycling scheme were to go ahead?
As with all of our water sources, any water from Havant Thicket Reservoir would be treated to meet strict drinking water standards before being supplied to customers.
In normal conditions, there would be no change to our current arrangements for supply of water to our customers.
Our Farlington Water Treatment Works would receive water directly from Bedhampton and Havant springs. The reservoir would not be used to supply Portsmouth Water customers on a routine basis.
Under the already approved reservoir scheme, during a drought, spring water stored in the reservoir would be used to supply Portsmouth Water customers, primarily in the Havant and Portsmouth area. This will allow us to share water from our network further west with Southern Water.
Given this arrangement, if the Hampshire Water Transfer and Water Recycling Project is implemented, Portsmouth Water customers would receive a mixture of spring water and recycled water from Havant Thicket Reservoir in drought and emergency conditions – for example, if we were not able to use our regular sources of water due to an engineering or other issue.
Like all UK water companies, we are required to plan for a number of different future scenarios, which take into account changes to population levels, climate change and the need to leave more water in the environment, to benefit nature. In some of these scenarios, recycled water could be used more frequently as a source for Portsmouth Water customers from 2040 and beyond.
Already approved reservoir scheme
• In the winter, and during periods of high rainfall, there is a surplus of water from the springs in the Havant area, over and above what we need for our customers. This surplus currently flows straight out to sea.
• We can make better use of this excess water by storing it in Havant Thicket Reservoir in Havant, which we are building and will operate.
• The reservoir will enable us to provide up to 21 million litres of water a day to Southern Water, when needed, during a period of drought.
• When needed during a drought, water from the reservoir will be treated at our Farlington Water Treatment Works and would be used to supply Portsmouth Water customers, primarily in the Havant and Portsmouth areas. This will allow us to share water from our network further west with Southern Water.
Water recycling proposals
• If the water recycling proposals go ahead, fully treated wastewater from Southern Water’s Budds Farm works in Havant would be further purified at a new (Southern Water) water recycling plant that’s proposed to be located south of Havant. The recycled water would then be transferred into Havant Thicket Reservoir to supplement the spring water already in it.
• Based on this, Portsmouth Water customers would receive a mixture of spring water and recycled water from Havant Thicket Reservoir in drought and emergency conditions – for example, if we were not able to use our regular sources of water due to an engineering or other issue.
• At all other times, the situation would remain as it is today, with people’s water supplies coming directly from the Bedhampton Springs, via our Farlington Water Treatment Works.
• The water treatment process at Farlington allows us to control the taste of customer’s drinking water and we anticipate there would be no noticeable changes if recycled water was included as a source.
• Our research shows that 7 out 10 Portsmouth Water customers support water recycling as a way forward, and would be happy to drink recycled water.
• Like all UK water companies, we are required to plan for a number of different future scenarios, which take into account changes to population levels, climate change and the need to leave more water in the environment, to benefit nature.
• In some of these scenarios, recycled water could be used more frequently as a source for Portsmouth Water customers from 2040 and beyond.
Is there a link between wastewater / stormwater releases and the water recycling scheme?
The water recycling process would be completely separate from stormwater releases, which only occur when a wastewater treatment plant and / or the sewer network are running at full capacity and cannot cope with the much increased levels of wastewater coming through the system during very wet weather.
• Portsmouth Water is a drinking water only company, and Southern Water manages wastewater within our supply area at treatment facilities such as Budds Farm in Havant, Southern’s largest plant. Treated wastewater from Budds Farm is released out to sea, in line with the works’ operating licence.
• Wastewater treatment plants are regulated by the Environment Agency, which sets the standards by which they operate, both in dry and wet weather conditions.
• In periods of heavy rain, both sewage and rainwater are collected in ‘combined’ sewers, which transport this mixed water, known as stormwater, to a treatment plant. Once the plant’s main treatment process is at maximum capacity and its stormwater storage tanks are full, heavily diluted, untreated stormwater must be released, either into the sea or a river or stream, to prevent flooding of homes, businesses and other properties.
• Such stormwater releases are permitted under the operating licences granted by the Environment Agency, in the interests of protecting populated areas from flooding.
• Stormwater could never end up in Havant Thicket Reservoir or the drinking water network because the proposed water recycling plant in Havant would take its water feed from the end of the complete wastewater treatment process and not from any stormwater tank or overflow.
• The fully treated wastewater would then be passed through a further water recycling treatment process, including an approach known as reverse osmosis.
• Recycled water is highly treated, purified water and would be cleaner than the spring water feeding into Havant Thicket Reservoir.
• For example, initial modelling indicates that the average concentration of nitrates in the recycled water put into the reservoir would be significantly lower than the levels found in the spring water – 0.1mg/l (milligrams per litre) in recycled water, compared to 30mg/l in Havant spring water and 34mg/l in the water from Bedhampton springs.
• Portsmouth Water will be in sole control of the water entering and leaving the reservoir.
• We already continuously monitor the quality of water at all of our sites with data automatically captured, analysed and checked in real time to ensure that we maintain excellent water quality that complies with regulatory standards.
• The same methods and control systems would apply to the water recycling plant.
• If there were any issues with the quality of the water being produced at the water recycling centre, the control system would automatically shut the plant down. As a result, there would be no possibility that untreated wastewater could enter Havant Thicket Reservoir.
Who is paying for Havant Thicket Reservoir and the water recycling scheme?
The already approved Havant Thicket Reservoir project, and the proposed water recycling scheme if it goes ahead, will be paid for by Southern Water, through its drinking water customer bills. These costs will be spread over many years – to reflect the continued benefits of the reservoir.
• Portsmouth Water customers are not paying for the reservoir project through their drinking water or wastewater bills.
• This applies for both the already approved reservoir scheme and should the additional water recycling proposals be implemented.
How will local people be consulted, so they can have their say on the water recycling proposals? Plus, who will ultimately decide if the scheme goes ahead?
Customers and stakeholders will have plenty of opportunity to learn more about the developing water recycling plans and have their say on them, including via a statutory consultation in 2024.
As a development of major significance, Southern Water is seeking planning approval for the Hampshire Water Transfer and Water Recycling Project (HWTWRP) in the form of a Development Consent Order (DCO), following the Government authorising this way forward.
Under the DCO, the final decision on the water recycling proposals would be made by the Secretary of State for the Environment, rather than by local planning authorities.
The DCO process puts an emphasis on early engagement with communities and stakeholders, allowing them to influence a project, including resolving any issues, before an application is made.
• In addition to ongoing engagement with key stakeholders, local authorities and other statutory bodies, a further public consultation on the Hampshire Water Transfer and Water Recycling Project (HWTWRP) is planned by Southern Water in 2024.
• This follows the consultation it conducted in Summer 2022, as well as continuing discussions with a range of local stakeholders since late 2020, including members of our long-standing Havant Thicket Reservoir Stakeholder Advisory Group.
• The 2024 consultation will include reporting on the preliminary assessment of the project’s environmental effects and proposed mitigation.
• Feedback from the consultation will help further shape the HWTWRP proposals.
• Development Consent Order (DCO) applications are submitted for large-scale infrastructure developments, categorised as Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects. Such applications are made to the Planning Inspectorate which will consider each and make a recommendation to the relevant Secretary of State, who then decides whether to approve or reject an application.
• We’re clear that the consultation and engagement process involved via DCO will be just as rigorous, if not more so, than if the application went via the Town and Country Planning Act route.
• For example, the DCO process includes a stronger requirement for consultation and engagement compared to the Town and Country Planning regime, where decisions are made by local planning authorities.
• It’s also important to note that local planning authorities continue to have a key role in the Development Consent Order process, not only acting as key consultees throughout, with opportunities to submit representations and appear at examination hearings, but also regularly being involved in detailed design matters and other requirements (like planning conditions).
• The DCO route is suited to the geographic scale of the HWTWRP and provides a streamlined single authorisation process for securing all the permissions, consents, licences and statutory powers needed to deliver this complex project in a timely manner.
• Under the Town and Country Planning Act route, the scale and complexity of the scheme means that multiple applications for planning permissions would need to be made to potentially six different local planning authorities, along with separate applications for a multitude of other consents and licences. The risks involved in the separate consideration of all of these applications could lead to considerable delays in delivery of the project and the benefits it will bring.
How will Portsmouth Water communicate and engage with stakeholders, customers and the wider public on water recycling?
Over the coming months, we will be taking a proactive approach and speaking directly to our customers about recycled water. We will be providing them with the facts, and offering opportunities to ask questions and give their views.
We’ve already been using a range of channels and methods to communicate with local residents about Havant Thicket Reservoir, including drop-in events, community talks, newspaper articles, social media, leaflets and newsletters.
We are going to build on this to make sure all our customers can learn about these water recycling proposals, ask us questions and tell us what they think.
• We appreciate and understand that some of our customers and stakeholders have questions and concerns about the water recycling proposals, including drinking recycled water.
• We will also continue our discussions with our stakeholders, having already provided them with a great deal of information and opportunities to learn more – such as taking part in tours of the pilot water recycling plant set up at Southern Water’s Budds Farm treatment site in Havant, to test the water recycling technology being considered.
• We have always had a close, trusting relationship with our customers and stakeholders, and we will share the information they need to feel confident that recycled water is a safe, sustainable source of drinking water.
• We are developing a comprehensive communications and engagement plan for water recycling, drawing on the experiences of other countries where recycled water is already used successfully, including the USA. This will see a range of activities being delivered to raise people’s awareness and enable them to raise queries and comments that we can respond to.