WATCH: Havant Thicket Water Reservoir - A look at the latest work on the project, details of scheme and how long it will take to complete

Work on the new water reservoir at Havant Thicket is well underway and when it is completed it will be about a mile long (1.6km) from east to west and half a mile wide (0.8km) from north to south - occupying the space to the north of Staunton County Park. It will be up to 18 metres deep in places with a capacity of holding 8.7 billion litres of water. It will also be up to 18 metres deep and have embankments on three sides.

It is being built to provide a new, sustainable source of water to Portsmouth Water’s customers, enabling the company to share its supplies in the west of its area with Southern Water and reduce its abstraction from the River Test and the River Itchen – two internationally-rare chalk streams in Hampshire. Much of the new reservoir will be filled by the winter overflows Bedhampton Springs which normally flows out into the sea – though there has been some controversy as this could be topped up by treated and recycled water if planning permission for this is granted.

Construction began in 2021, and so far much of the work has been preparatory with the area cleared of the trees and greenery, and the ground work being prepared to get to the clay underneath which will be needed to build it. A new access route is being created to the north of the site which will result in the main entrance to the site being moved from its current position off a residential street in Leigh Park to the B2149 at Rowlands Castle – keeping the majority of the construction traffic away from residential areas.

A trial embankment has also been constructed built with different types of clay which are already on the reservoir site which is being used to test the building process for it – as well as how well it ‘performs’ before the final decision for construction is made. The construction work is expected to last for four years, followed by around three years to fill the reservoir with water with it coming into use towards the end of 2029.

• Farmland to be transformed into woodland and grassland

• Calls for clarity over water recycling scheme

• More than 200 trees relocated

Once complete the site will be opened up to it is connected to the nearby areas with new paths, cycleways and bridleways and there will also be some facilities for visitors.

Ruari Maybank, the project director, explained: “We are really excited about the benefits the reservoir will bring to our local community. This is going to be a green hub or recreational and educational value. It will have a whole network of paths, bridleways and cycleways that will go around the reservoir and connect with Havant Thicket in the north, and Staunton Country Park to the south.

"We are also going to be building a visitors centre that will have an educational facility, a cafe, it will have picnic facilities, toilets and a play area for children.”

For more about the ongoing construction works watch our video which is embedded in this article from a recent site visit, or visit havant-thicket-reservoir.uk.engagementhq.com.