Consultation on Southern Water’s revised draft Water Resources Management Plan
The Parish Council has now sent its detailed submission to DEFRA concerning the Southern Water (SW) revised draft Plan in which it asks DEFRA to reject the Plan as being unsuitable for delivering long-term sustainable, cost-effective and environmentally friendly options to ensure water availability for all even in times of drought. A copy of the Council’s response can be viewed here: 2024.11.25 Letter to Defra re Southern Water revised WRMP
The Council’s great concern is that a very costly, large infrastructure scheme (the Hampshire Water Treatment & Water Recycling project) is being pursued at great expense to both customers and the environment and that other options to deliver sustainable water resources have been sidelined or deferred so that this costly scheme can be implemented. This scheme does have implications for Portsmouth Water (PW) customers who will receive water from the scheme if that company has to draw down water from the reservoir to supply them. Should Southern Water and Portsmouth Water be joined at some point in the future then Portsmouth Water customers will be billed for the infrastructure and running costs as well.
Residents are strongly encouraged to read the Council’s submission on our website and, if you agree with the thrust of the letter, make your own submissions as well by Wednesday 4 December 2024. Please do not use the letter verbatim or cut and paste large sections of text from our letter because then your submission will not be seen as separate from that of the Parish Council. You do not have to make a large submission but just focus on a few key points in your own words if time is short.
Every objection to DEFRA will add weight to the campaign that is now spread across West Sussex and into the Isle of Wight.
DEFRA’s decision is critical because if they approve the Plan then Southern Water can proceed without further reference to the normal planning process as they have deemed the Water Transfer & Water Recycling Scheme as a Critical Infrastructure Project that goes straight to the Government for approval and residents will have no further say in the matter.
IT’S CRUNCH TIME! Please act now if you haven’t done so already.
Responses can be sent to:
Email: water.resources@defra.gov.uk
CC in: WRMP@southernwater.co.uk and Damian.Hinds.mp@parliament.uk as our MP for East Hampshire.
If including Damian then please put your address after your email signature so he knows you are an East Hants constituent.
Bcc in: water@havantmatters.org
This is optional but if used, as the Parish Council has done, then the Havant Campaign Team who are leading on this matter can read it as they are keeping track of responses.
Post: Secretary of State (DEFRA), Water Resources Management Plan Consultation (Southern Water), Water Resources,
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Seacole 3rd Floor, 2 Marsham Street, LONDON W1P 4DF
Consultation on Hampshire (Southern Water) Water Transfer & Water Recycling Project
A Consultation ran from 29 May to 23 July 2024 on the Hampshire (Southern Water) Water Transfer & Water Recycling (WT&WR) Project.
The Parish Council strongly advised residents to take an interest and make their views known as the Project will not go through the normal planning process but go to central Government as a major infrastructure project.
Views were sought by Southern Water (SW) on the Project that covers plans to build a Water Treatment Plant (WTP) at Broadmarsh in Havant, plus pipelines to and from Portsmouth Water infrastructure, plus a 40km pipeline to the Otterbourne Water Treatment Works (WTW). This is to facilitate the production of recycled effluent water derived from Budd’s Farm, pumped after treatment to Havant Thicket Reservoir for temporary storage and then pumped to Otterbourne WTW for use by SW customers.
The Consultation sought views on the various proposals to progress this whole project. However, although the scheme is designed to supply water to SW customers the Project will impact the whole local community (particularly in environmental terms) and Portsmouth Water customers will receive the mixed recycled and spring water in times of drought or disruption to the spring water supply and, potentially, regularly after 2040.
To this end the Parish Council produced a short, 3-page briefing paper setting out some high-level issues and concerns, to be found here:
RCPC Briefing for Residents re Hampshire (Southern Water) WT & WR Project Consultation
Objecting to the proposals will force SW and Government to look again at how to deal with the water shortage concerns in the future
NB: Because of its structure, the online feedback form SW suggested be used for feedback was not the best way to express all potential concerns. It was mostly about commenting on the infrastructure proposals rather than whether the project is the right one or not. Residents were advised they could complete the form as well if they wished but sending an email or letter would allow one to focus on the strategic issues rather than infrastructure details (none of which lie within this Parish).
RCPC’s Responses to Water-related Consultations
At its meeting on 2 September 2024, RCPC ratified its response to Ofwat on its PR24 Consultation – Draft Determination for Southern Water, which can be viewed here:
2024.08.28 RCPC Letter to Ofwat re PR24 Consultation
At its meeting on 15 July 2024, RCPC’s response to Southern Water’s Consultation on its Hampshire Water Transfer & Water Recycling Project, which can be viewed here:
2024.07.17 – RCPC response to Southern Water Consultation on Hampshire (SW) WT WR Project
At a statutory consultee, RCPC submitted a response to the Planning Inspectorate Hampshire Water Transfer & Water Recycling Project, which can be viewed here:
2023.08.17 RCPC Response to Planning Inspectorate on HWR&WRP incl Annex A & B
At its meeting on 9 January 2023, RCPC agreed its responses to several water-related consultations running in late 2022/early 2023, copies of which are available here:
2023.02.02 Letter to WRSE re draft Regional Water Resources Plan for SE Consultation
2023.02.02 Letter to DEFRA with Annex re Portsmouth Water WRMP Consultation
2023.02.02 Letter to DEFRA with Annex re Southern Water WRMP Consultation
At its meeting on 5 September 2022, RCPC agreed to write to Portsmouth Water (PW), expressing concern at the proposals for the planned Havant Thicket Reservoir to receive recycled water from Southern Water, and a copy of RCPC’s subsequent letter to PW is available here:
2022.09.06 RCPC Letter to Portsmouth Water re Havant Thicket Reservoir and SW’s proposals
At its Meeting on 18 July 2022, RCPC agreed its response to Southern Water’s Consultation on Hampshire’s Water Transfer & Water Recycling Project, a copy of which is available here:
2022.08.03 RCPC Response to Southern Water’s Consultation on Hants Water Transfer & Water Recyling Project
Previous Water Resources South East (WRSE) Consultation
During January, February and March 2022, WRSE held a Consultation on its emerging Regional Plan to address the significant challenges facing all water users in South East England. WRSE’s Consultation document can be viewed here. Further information is also set out in WRSE’s emerging plan technical annexes, which are available in the Documents section of that page.
WRSE states “The scale of the challenges that need to be tackled is not apparent to most, but they are both urgent and significant, whilst the proposed solutions to them are both challenging and complex. This consultation was an important stage in the development of our plan and an opportunity for people to contribute their views.”
Rowlands Castle Parish Council responded to the Consultation, which was in questionnaire form. A collation of its responses can be viewed here: Collation of RCPC’s Responses to Questionnaire submission to WRSE Consultation In its response, RCPC expressed its concerns at the possibility that recycled effluent (not the same as sewage) may be pumped into the new Havant Thicket Reservoir once it is built.
In April 2022, WRSE intended to publish a Summary of the feedback it received, with its draft best value regional plan due to be published for consultation later in 2022. In the meantime, residents can give WRSE your queries using the Questions tool in the link above, or email directly on contact@wrse.org.uk.
