Jess questions plans to add recycled wastewater to drinking water
A huge project to recycle Southern Water wastewater and pump it into Portsmouth Water’s proposed new drinking water reservoir needs much more scrutiny, said Jess Brown-Fuller, Chichester’s newly elected MP.
Jess is planning to meet with neighbouring MPs and local conservation groups this week to reconsider the scheme.
Plans to pump recycled wastewater from Budds Farm sewage treatment works into a new Portsmouth Water drinking reservoir near Rowlands Farm have been allowed to progress with insufficient scrutiny and virtually no public transparency, said Chichester’s new MP.
The proposed reservoir at Havant Thicket was originally granted planning on the basis that the water would be sourced from freshwater springs. However, Southern Water has taken over the funding of the scheme and plans to supplement the water supply with its own wastewater treated using ‘reverse osmosis.’ While this new technology is used in a few other countries, particularly in areas with a shortage of fresh water supply, it has never been used in the UK before. This change of use was submitted by Southern Water directly to the Secretary of State as a ‘Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project’. If approved and granted a Development Consent Order then Havant Borough Council, Hampshire County Council would have no further say in the matter, even though they refused consent and communities have voiced their objections.
The new reservoir will serve customers across Hampshire and Sussex and will have a much greater impact on the environment than Portsmouth Water’s original plans.
“Portsmouth Water has a very good reputation locally for providing high quality drinking water. However, trust in Southern Water among Chichester’s constituents is at an all time low. Some of my constituents are concerned that their Portsmouth Water supply is going to be mixed with Southern Water’s recycled wastewater,” said Jess.
“There are other hugely disturbing aspects to this project including the use of a contaminated waste fill site to house part of the infrastructure, the financial and accounting arrangements of the scheme and the lack of local oversight and consultation,” she said.
“Part of the reason why I secured almost half of all the votes in my constituency was my promise to hold the water companies to account. I will not let my constituents run the risk of dirty drinking water from a company which has already polluted our precious harbours, chalk streams and seas. I will be urging the water regulators and the new government to scrutinise this project thoroughly,” she added.
“A public consultation on the project was launched by Southern Water and Portsmouth Water in May but customers were not informed by the companies and most constituents are still unaware of it even though the consultation finishes on July 23,” said Jess, who urged the public to take part in the consultation.
We urge all those interested to provide their feedback via the official consultation.
Other information on the project can be found on these other websites: