Water Minister Emma Hardy has recently visited Portsmouth Water to view the latest developments on the Havant Thicket Reservoir — the UK’s first major new reservoir in over 30 years.
The landmark project is poised to play a crucial role in ensuring the region's sustainable water supplies.
During her visit last week, the Minister toured the newly opened public viewing area and observed the rapid progress being made on site.
Water Minister, Emma Hardy MP, said: “The construction of Havant Thicket is a major milestone in securing precious water resources for this country for generations to come.
“Every drop of investment will help ensure a more sustainable and resilient water future, protecting the local environment and creating jobs.
“We’ve secured £104 billion in private investment going into fixing the foundations of our water system, which includes more new reservoirs like Havant Thicket and repairing leaks.”
Bob Taylor, Chief Executive Officer for Portsmouth Water, said: “It was an absolute privilege to welcome the Water Minister, Emma Hardy MP, to Portsmouth Water and our flagship Havant Thicket Reservoir last week.
“This is an incredibly exciting time for us as a company. Not only are we embarking on our largest ever investment programme, we’re also delivering the first major new UK reservoir in more than three decades. At both a regional and national level, the water resources situation is changing, with the big driver being to leave more water in the environment to benefit nature.
“Havant Thicket Reservoir will play a fundamental role in this, protecting two of Hampshire’s precious chalk rivers by providing a new, sustainable source of water for the South East. We’re making excellent progress on site and were delighted to show the Minister our new public viewing area, an exciting vantage point for our community to see progress.
“We look forward to welcoming the Water Minister and her team back in future, and would like to thank her for taking the time to visit us.”
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