Southern Water project reaches important planning milestone

The Planning Inspectorate has accepted Southern Water’s Hampshire Water Transfer and Water Recycling Project for examination as part of the Development Consent Order (DCO) process.

The project aims to create a new source of water supply for Hampshire by transforming the way it treats, sources and supplies water throughout the region.

The Planning Inspectorate has accepted Southern Water’s Hampshire Water Transfer and Water Recycling Project for examination. (Image: Southern Water)

It forms a central part of Southern Water’s long-term strategy to reduce pressure on the county’s chalk streams by developing alternative sources of supply.

Ben Ring, managing director for capital projects at Southern Water, said: "This is an important step forward for the project, which will play a vital role in securing water for our customers and protecting the environment.

"While this is not the final decision, it reflects the significant amount of work by our team, our suppliers, stakeholders and regulators that has gone into developing a robust and deliverable proposal."

The need for alternative water sources is particularly acute following the warmest spring on record and during the ongoing heatwave, conditions which have led to a sharp decline in river flows.

In just two weeks, water flow through the River Test has dropped by 258 million litres per day.

The River Test, River Itchen and their aquifers supply water to more than 800,000 people in Hampshire.

These chalk streams are also ecologically sensitive habitats, supporting a wide range of wildlife, and environmental regulations have led to strict limits on the volume of water that can be drawn from them.

These restrictions, combined with increasing demand from population growth and the effects of climate change, mean that Southern Water currently faces a daily shortfall of 166 million litres during drought conditions.

This figure is expected to rise to 200 million litres per day in the years ahead.

Southern Water says the Hampshire Water Transfer and Water Recycling Project is urgently needed, alongside ongoing efforts to reduce leakage and improve water efficiency.

The issue of water scarcity extends beyond Hampshire.

According to the Environment Agency, nearly five billion extra litres of water per day will be required to maintain public supplies in England by 2055, with more than half of that demand concentrated in the South East.

The Hampshire project forms a core element of Southern Water’s wider resilience plans, which also include new reservoirs and pipeline infrastructure.

These measures are intended to ensure a stable water supply for communities across the region while safeguarding environmental resources during drought and other periods of water stress.