Step forward for water recycling project
The Hampshire Water Transfer and Water Recycling Project has been approved by regulators for the next round of funding to continue its development.
On Tuesday 12 November 2024, the Regulators Alliance for Progressing Infrastructure Development (RAPID) published its draft response to our most recent regulatory submission for the project
You can view this draft response online.
The project, which will secure vital water resources in Hampshire while protecting the county’s iconic chalk stream rivers, involves producing purified recycled water from treated wastewater to maintain supplies during a drought.
Mark Wintringham, our Interim Programme Director, said:
“This latest approval demonstrates that our regulators are continuing to back the Hampshire Water Transfer and Water Recycling Project as an essential source of drought-proof water for the county.
“The project will help us keep Hampshire’s taps and rivers flowing – especially during a drought.”
Paul Hickey, Managing Director for RAPID, added:
“Adapting to climate change and population growth, improving our precious rivers and supporting housing means that Hampshire faces a deficit of around 180 million litres of water a day by 2050.
“The Hampshire Water Transfer and Water Recycling Project would provide a new source of supply to make up around half of this shortfall during a drought, as well as increasing water resilience for the wider region.
“The scheme would help reduce abstraction of our nationally and internationally protected chalk streams, such as the River Test and River Itchen.
“We are clear that with the right permit conditions to protect the environment, water recycling schemes can play an important role in our future national water supplies. We have a robust regulatory framework in place to support the technology's application domestically.
“The scheme will need separate planning and environmental consents from other regulatory bodies before the project can be constructed and operated.”
The project includes the construction of a water recycling plant. The purified recycled water produced would be pumped into the Havant Thicket Reservoir ensuring there is more water available in the reservoir for public supplies.
The full RAPID documents are available to view on our website.
A representation period runs until 17 January 2025. RAPID is expected to publish its final decision document on 21 February 2025.