Reservoir pipelines

We will be installing two new pipelines to serve Havant Thicket Reservoir. Our main pipelines planning application was approved by Havant Borough Council's Planning Committee in May 2025.

The pipelines will run next to each other underground, from Bedhampton Springs to the reservoir site, which is just north of Leigh Park, Havant. One will be used to transport surplus spring water to the reservoir in winter, where it can be stored. The other pipeline will enable water to be drawn out for treatment and supply to customers, when needed during a drought or emergency situation.

You can view a map of the overall pipelines route by clicking here.

Keeping disruption to a minimum

To minimise disruption to local communities, we will use micro-tunnelling to build the majority of the reservoir pipelines, with two ‘open cut’ sections, where a trench would be dug to put the pipelines in and cover them up again. More detail on what micro-tunnelling involves can be found in the information leaflet we published for the pipelines public consultation we held in late 2023 - click here to view the leaflet.

We will build the pipelines section by section, starting later this year, and completing around three years later.

Working with the local planning and highways authorities, we have developed comprehensive plans for constructing the reservoir pipelines and effectively managing construction traffic. Our plans are focused on there being as little disturbance and inconvenience for residents and businesses as possible, while building the pipelines efficiently and on schedule.

Engaging with local communities

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.

Future of pipelines

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.

How to get in touch

If you have a question or comment, you can send it to us using the Question tool on this page.

Of course, you can also contact us by sending an email to havantthicket@portsmouthwater.co.uk, or by calling 023 9249 9888.