Havant reservoir: Portsmouth Water secures £325m for build

The Havant Thicket Reservoir would sit next to Rowlands Castle and Leigh Park in Havant

A water firms has said it has secured £325m to build a new reservoir.

Havant Thicket Reservoir in Havant, Hampshire, will hold 8,700 million litres of water and provide additional water supplies to Southern England.

Portsmouth Water said it would be the first large-scale water storage reservoir to be built in the UK since the 1980s.

The water firm said several banks had come forward to support its scheme along with £150m from shareholders.

It added it had also secured a £50m commitment from the government-owned bank, the UK Infrastructure Bank.

The reservoir will be built on a 160-hectare (395-acre) site owned by Portsmouth Water between Staunton Country Park and Havant Thicket.

According to the water firm, it will be filled in the winter from surplus water pumped from Bedhampton springs in Havant and will be able to supply up to 21 million litres of water each day.

It will reduce the amount of water currently taken from chalk streams - the River Test and the River Itchen, Portsmouth Water added.

It said its a current approved plan for the reservoir "has no element of recycled water associated with it".

"Together with Southern Water, we are exploring options for the future, which might include adding recycled water to the reservoir, but these options are subject to further consultation and planning approval," the water firm said.

The reservoir is due to be completed, and up and running, by 2029.