Tunnelling work for Havant Thicket Reservoir pipelines set to begin
Tunnelling work to install new pipelines for Havant Thicket Reservoir is set to begin, with two machines officially named at an event attended by local councillors, schoolchildren and water industry representatives.
The event was held at the reservoir site on Wednesday (September 24) ahead of tunnelling work due to begin in the coming months.
The two machines have been named Dora the Borer and Holy Mole-y following a competition that attracted more than 300 entries from pupils at more than 60 local schools.
Dora the Borer was named by Tiggy, from St Thomas More’s Catholic Primary School, while Holy Mole-y was named by Jessica, from Horndean Technology College.
The machines will be used to install underground pipelines connecting to Havant Thicket Reservoir, which is currently under construction just north of Havant.
Bob Taylor, chief executive of Portsmouth Water, said: “This is a really exciting moment for the project as we get ready to start tunnelling work on the new pipelines that will be used to fill the reservoir and take out water to supply customers.”
Most of the 7km pipeline route will be installed using micro-tunnelling, meaning roads and pavements will not need to be excavated along much of the route.
Mr Taylor said the technique would help reduce the impact of the work on nearby communities and the environment.
The pipelines are expected to take around three years to complete, with work due to finish in 2029. Each pipe will be 1.7 metres in diameter and, once complete, the system will be capable of transporting up to 40 million litres of water a day to the reservoir.
The event brought together pupils, teachers and representatives from the organisations involved in the project. Guests included Andy Turner, director at Ofwat, and Lawrence Gosden, chief executive of Southern Water.
Havant Thicket Reservoir is being built and will be operated by Portsmouth Water, which is working with Southern Water to provide additional water supplies to customers in Hampshire.
Ben Ring, managing director for capital projects at Southern Water, said the reservoir was “a key part” of plans to develop new sources of water.
He said it would provide a more resilient supply while reducing pressure on Hampshire’s chalk streams, including the River Itchen and River Test.
The wider project is being developed alongside Southern Water’s Hampshire Water Transfer and Water Recycling Project, which the company says could allow the reservoir to provide additional water in the future.
Havant Thicket Reservoir will be the first new reservoir to be built in the UK in more than 30 years.
Several pupils were also recognised during the event. Isabelle from Padnell Infant School and Melody and Finn from St Peter’s Catholic Primary School were joint winners in the competition, while Willow and Yoan from St Peter’s were recognised for their winning artwork depicting tunnelling machines.
The pipelines are being constructed by Ward & Burke, a contractor specialising in civil and tunnelling projects.
Under the current approved plans, the pipelines will transport spring water to and from the reservoir. While the infrastructure could potentially be used to transport highly purified recycled water in the future, this is not permitted under the current plans.
The new pipelines will form part of the infrastructure needed to fill Havant Thicket Reservoir and subsequently transfer water from it for supply to customers.