Southern Water are working on proposal to introduce water recycling as a way of reducing the amount of water they have to abstract from the sensitive rivers Test and Itchen.
In due course, Southern Water will make an application for permission to construct a plant close the Budds Farm Waste Water Treatment Works. They will also seek permission to install associated pipework connecting the plant with the Havant Thicket Reservoir and the Reservoir with their water supply works in Otterbourne.
This application will not be determined by Havant Borough Council as planning applications usually would be. This is because the project is classed as a nationally significant infrastructure project (NSIP). NSIPs are given a specific type of planning permission via a Development Consent Order determined by the Planning Inspectorate (PINS) instead of the local planning authority.
While Havant Borough Council is not the determining authority for the application and does not have powers to regulate the water industry, we are aware that the project represents a major change in the way water is supplied in our area. The Council will continue to engage with the water companies and will aim to help residents to understand the proposals.
Southern Water are currently undertaking a consultation on the proposals for water recycling in Hampshire. You can find out more, including details of exhibitions being held in the Borough and how to respond to the consultation, at https://www.hampshirewtwrp.co.uk/
In February 2023 the Council hosted a meeting where residents could ask questions of Southern Water and Portsmouth Water directly.