Ofwat locks in strategic chalk stream schemes

Ofwat has locked in draft decisions issued by the Regulators Alliance for Progressing Infrastructure Development (RAPID) regarding four strategic regional water resource schemes (listed below) to protect Hampshire chalk streams from over abstraction. The schemes have now passed through the first checkpoint in a special accelerated process.

The schemes

• Desalination (proposed by Southern) – a desalination plant in Hampshire could provide up to 75 million litres of water per day and would be the largest seawater desalination system in the UK.

• Water recycling (proposed by Southern) – an alternative to desalination that could also provide up to 75 million litres of water per day.

• West Country North Sources (jointly proposed by Bristol Water, Wessex Water and Southern Water) – a reservoir in Bristol Water’s area and transfer through Wessex Water’s area to Southern Water.

• Raw water transfer from Portsmouth Water’s proposed Havant Thicket reservoir to Southern’s Otterbourne Water Treatment Works (proposed by Southern Water) – this new proposal includes abstraction from the proposed reservoir, a new high-lift pumping station and around a 40km pipeline to Otterbourne Water Treatment Works.

The West Country North Sources scheme has moved directly to Gate Two of the standard gated process. Meanwhile Ofwat reiterated concerns raised by RAPID on the timing and efficiency of the other three schemes. It said some elements of Southern Water’s expenditure on desalination and water recycling plans had not been efficient and not all of it should be allowed. Given “shortcomings in the completeness and quality of these two submissions” it proposed a delivery incentive penalty of 10% unless a number of remedial actions are completed as a priority.

Moreover, RAPID warned that Southern’s three solutions under current plans would not deliver until 2028 or after; that would be too late for the end of 2027 deadline agreed with the Environment Agency for the delivery of alternative resources. Ofwat has asked Southern for assurances at gate two that progress on its three proposed solutions will allow it to deliver on time.