Environment Secretary visited Havant Thicket
reservoir, which will help future-proof water supply in the South
East.
People in the South East will soon benefit from a more reliable
and sustainable water supply with the construction of the Havant
Thicket reservoir – the first reservoir to be built in the region
since the 1970s.
Visiting the site near Havant, Hampshire, today (12 March),
Environment Secretary highlighted the reservoir as a
prime example of how £104 billion in private sector investment
into water—the largest since privatisation—is driving forward
major infrastructure projects and creating over 30,000 jobs
across the country.
This is part of delivering on the government's Plan for Change,
which will support the infrastructure Britain needs to boost
growth, construct 1.5 million new homes, and clean up our rivers,
lakes, and seas for good.
By 2030 South East England is projected to face severe water
stress due to population growth, climate change and environmental
pressures. This could lead to shortfalls unless urgent action is
taken to improve water efficiency and build new infrastructure,
so projects like Havant Thicket, which will store 8.7 billion
litres of water, are essential.
When full, the reservoir will supply an average of 21 million
litres of water a day, enough water to supply an estimated
160,000 people.
The reservoir, which will be built on a grassland site in between
Rowlands Castle, Leigh Park and Staunton Country Park is being
developed by Portsmouth Water in collaboration with Southern
Water, who is funding the project. As well as protecting some of
Hampshire's rare chalk streams, it will also provide a leisure
facility for the local community.
Environment Secretary said:
The UK faces a water shortage because we haven't built a new
reservoir in over 30 years – Havant Thicket is a crucial step in
securing water for future generations.
Investment in vital infrastructure like reservoirs is crucial for
economic growth and environmental protection – a cornerstone of
our Plan for Change.
The reservoir builds on action taken by the Environment Agency to
reduce the extraction of water from the Rivers Test and Itchen –
protecting local wetlands.
The Environment Secretary's visit to Havant Thicket is the latest
in a series of visits that he and Water Minister are making on a ‘Things Can
Only Get Cleaner' tour this week, to see where investment in
water infrastructure will underpin the building of new homes,
create jobs, and turbocharge local
economies.
Transformative change is already well under way, driven by bold
reforms and decisive action, including the ground-breaking
Water (Special Measures)
Act, which will ban bonuses for water executives who pollute,
and the newly established Independent Water
Commission, tasked with overhauling the water sector to
ensure accountability and sustainability from the ground up.
