Environment secretary Angela Eagle gets tour of the 'excellent progress' at Havant Thicket Reservoir

Portsmouth Water hosted the environment secretary this week as they showed her around the first major new reservoir to be built in the UK for more than 30 years.

Dame Angela Eagle visited Havant Thicket Reservoir on Thursday, September 3 as the country faces its third drought on five years. With water resilience highlighted as a top government priority, the new site will provide up to 21 million litres of water a day in long periods of dry weather.

Portsmouth Water has said the new reservoir will provide a new sustainable source of water and will help protect two of Hampshire’s precious chalk rivers.

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Bob Taylor, CEO of Portsmouth Water, said: “It was a privilege to welcome the Environment Secretary, Dame Angela Eagle, to Havant Thicket Reservoir and to show her the excellent progress being made on site.

“Following a second summer in a row of record-breaking heat, the challenges of drought have come sharply into focus for many people, in a way not seen since the drought of 1976.

“New, sustainable sources of water are essential for building resilience to drought, particularly here in the severely water-stressed South East. That’s why we’re proud to be building Havant Thicket Reservoir, the first new major reservoir to be built in the UK for more than 30 years. The reservoir will play a vital role in protecting two of Hampshire’s precious chalk rivers.”

When Havant Thicket Reservoir is complete, it will hold up to 8.7 billion litres of water and will become a green leisure hub for the area with a visitor centre, wetland and network of footpaths, cycle routes and bridleways.

It is being constructed by Future Water MJJV Ltd and is being built and operated by Portsmouth Water and paid for over time by Southern Water’s water supply bills.