The incredible new £340m reservoir that will be the UK's first in over 30 years

The UK's latest reservoir is currently in the works and will be the country's first in over 30 years. The Havant Thicket Reservoir project is designed to increase the in South East England. It is expected to hold around a huge 8.7 billion litres of water in total, supplying 21 million litres daily and reaching up to 111 million a day. The £340 million project is being delivered by Portsmouth Water, with the purpose of protecting some of the country's "rarest" chalk streams, such as the River Test and the River Itchen.

Southern Water, which supplies and Hampshire, is reducing the amount of water it draws from the rivers. , which receives a surplus of water during periods of high rainfall, is taking steps to use the excess water by storing what usually ends up in the sea in the Havant Thicket Reservoir. In doing this, the company is able to share the water from its network with Southern Water.

The new reservoir will create a more reliable water supply for the region and will also include a new leisure and community facility in Havant.

The town will be completely transformed, with the reservoir surrounded by paths perfect for walking, cycling, and even horse riding. There will also be spots for children to play and picnic areas.

A visitor centre is also part of the plan, providing a place for the community to host educational visits from both schools and clubs. Nature lovers will also get to enjoy a new wetland habitat that is also in the works, with bird watching facilities with hides.

At the groundbreaking ceremony, which took place in September last year, Portsmouth Water chief executive, Bob Taylor, said: "This marks an important milestone on the journey to securing long-term water resilience for a significant area of southern England, whilst protecting and improving the local environment at the same time."

According to Earthworks and ground improvements will be the focus of 2025, before above-ground construction starts in 2026.

Future Water MJJV Limited, a joint venture between Jones Bros Civil Engineering and Mackley, are constructing the reservoir and it is expected to be completed in 2029.