About the Project

The project comprises the construction and operation of the following:

• A water recycling plant located northwest of the existing Budds Farm Wastewater Treatment Works in Havant. Three pumping stations, including a high lift pumping station, would also be located alongside the water recycling plant.
• Underground pipelines between our existing Budds Farm Wastewater Treatment Works and the water recycling plant. One pipeline would transfer treated wastewater from Budds Farm to the water recycling plant, while the other would transfer reject water from the water recycling plant to the Eastney Long Sea Outfall via Budds Farm.
• Pipelines between the water recycling plant and Bedhampton Springs. These pipelines would connect to pipelines being proposed by Portsmouth Water between Bedhampton Springs and Havant Thicket Reservoir. Together, these pipelines would transfer purified recycled water from the water recycling plant to the Reservoir and transfer source water from the Reservoir to the high lift pumping station located at the water recycling plant site. As a backup to this, there would be underground pipelines between the water recycling plant and the Havant Thicket Reservoir. One pipeline would transfer purified recycled water from the water recycling plant directly to the Reservoir and the other would transfer source water from the Reservoir back to the high lift pumping station located at the water recycling plant site.
• An underground pipeline to transfer source water from the high lift pumping station, located at the water recycling plant site, to Otterbourne Water Supply Works. During a drought, the pipeline could transfer up to approximately 90 million litres of water per day to Otterbourne for further treatment.
• A maximum of four above ground plant comprising two intermediate pumping stations, one break pressure tank and one combined intermediate pumping station and break pressure tank. The above ground plant would be located along the pipeline between the high lift pumping station and Otterbourne Water Supply Works. The above ground plant are needed to support the flow of water through the pipeline.

The Project would also include:

• Use of the Havant Thicket Reservoir for the storage of purified recycled water from the water recycling plant.
• Use of pipelines being proposed by Portsmouth Water to transfer purified recycled water and source water between Bedhampton Springs and Havant Thicket Reservoir.
• Use of the existing Eastney Long Sea Outfall for the release of reject water into the Solent.
• Other associated development, including construction compounds, access routes and environmental mitigation and enhancement.

Water recycling uses advanced treatment techniques to turn highly treated wastewater into purified recycled water, so less needs to be taken from the environment.

The Project would pump purified recycled water to the Havant Thicket Reservoir. Water from the reservoir would be pumped to our Otterbourne Water Supply Works for further treatment to become drinking water.

Special membranes are used to remove salts and a range of other impurities. The process involves several stages of treatment including micro or ultra-filtration and reverse osmosis. In fact, so much is removed from the water that some essential minerals, such as calcium and magnesium, have to be added back in.

Water recycling is already widely used around the world – in Australia, Singapore, the USA and, closer to home, in Belgium. Southern Water is one of several water companies in the UK developing water recycling plants to create new sources supply for the future.