Otterbourne Customer Drop-in for pipeline project

We’re holding a customer drop-in event this week to showcase our final preparations ahead of construction starting on a major new water pipeline for Southampton. 

Members of the public are invited to join our teams at Compton and Shawford Parish Hall, Pearson Land Shawford, Otterbourne, on Thursday 28 November 2024 between 3pm and 7pm. 

This new pipe will connect our Otterbourne Water Supply Works with service reservoirs on the edges of Winchester and Southampton. 

Terence Hedley, Senior Project Manager said: “The new underground pipeline will run from Otterbourne to Yew Hill reservoir, near Winchester, and then south to our Rownhams water supply works on the outskirts of Southampton. 

“We’ve worked closely with landowners and local authorities to find the most viable and least disruptive route. 

“We are doing this to improve the resilience of our water network, making any future loss of water incidents less likely and helping us take less water from the precious environments of the River Test and River Itchen.” 

Facts 

·       The Southampton Link Main (SLM) is a project to install a 17km new underground drinking water pipe from Otterbourne to Southampton in Hampshire. 

·       The project, which is valued at more than £100 million, is scheduled to start work in the Spring of 2025 and will take around 3 years to complete. 

·       The new underground pipe will also help reduce the likelihood of future water supply interruptions and can support the moving of water around our network to where it is needed most.