Southern Water announces engagement for a £1.3bn water project, highlighting its commitment to sustainability and innovation.
- The Hampshire Water Transfer and Recycling initiative aims to address climate challenges, enhance resilience, and manage population demands.
- Significant infrastructure developments include a recycling plant, pipeline, and pumping station, promising efficiency in water supply.
- The project’s procurement is scheduled for 2026, with ambitious construction plans set to commence by 2029.
- Utilising a DPC model, the project seeks competitive tenders to ensure cost-effective deployment, enhancing customer value.
Southern Water has embarked on a substantial engagement initiative for the ambitious £1.3 billion Hampshire Water Transfer and Water Recycling Project, reflecting its strategic focus on sustainability and forward-thinking infrastructure solutions. The project is designed with the goal of improving resilience to climate change, population growth, and drought conditions, particularly in the wake of 2022’s severe heatwave that placed Hampshire in a state of drought.
At the heart of this initiative is the construction of a new water recycling plant located south of Havant. This facility will process treated wastewater into recycled water, which is then transported through a newly established underground pipeline to the proposed Havant Thicket reservoir. This site, when completed, will be the UK’s first new drinking water reservoir in over three decades, highlighting a considerable advancement in national water resource management.
The project encompasses a comprehensive suite of developments, including a 42km tunnel and pipeline stretching between the proposed pumping station and Otterbourne Water Supply Works. These infrastructural components are critical to the effective conveyance of water, ensuring that up to 90 million litres per day can be transferred during times of drought.
The procurement process for this vast undertaking is set to commence on 30 September 2026, with construction planned for 2028 or 2029. This timeline underscores an organised approach to project delivery, allowing for meticulous planning and execution.
Ofwat has mandated that the project be executed through a direct procurement for customers (DPC) financing model. This approach requires the project to be put to competitive tender, allowing a third-party competitively appointed provider (CAP) to design, build, finance, and potentially operate the infrastructure. This model is intended to drive better value for money for customers by leveraging market competition.
The recycling plant forms a strategic component of Southern Water’s Water for Life Hampshire programme, which aims to optimise the use of Havant Thicket Reservoir’s storage capacity. By doing so, the initiative can significantly augment Hampshire’s water supply network, adding resilience against future shortages.
Additionally, the infrastructure includes several pumping stations and pipeline networks designed to transport both recycled and source water efficiently. This system is augmented by intermediate pumping stations and pressure tanks to ensure a seamless flow of water through extensive pipelines, thus enhancing the reliability of the supply chain.
The collaboration with Portsmouth Water is pivotal, as the combined effort seeks to maximise the reservoir’s capabilities without using recycled water directly within it, emphasising an innovative approach to managing regional water resources.
This innovative project by Southern Water marks a significant milestone in addressing the complex challenges of water scarcity, climate change, and population growth.
