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Ground broken at £167m Havant Thicket Reservoir17th Sep 2024
A ground-breaking ceremony has signalled the start of work on the UK’s first major water-storage reservoir in more than three decades.
Jones Bros Civil Engineering UK and Mackley have joined forces as Future Water MJJV Limited to construct the £167 million Havant Thicket Reservoir in Hampshire.
The joint venture was selected to carry out the large-scale works by Portsmouth Water, the company delivering the scheme in partnership with Southern Water.
The event saw more than 70 guests in attendance including Iain Coucher, chair of Ofwat, and Simon Moody, Environment Agency area director.
Other ceremony attendees included Bob Taylor, chief executive of Portsmouth Water, and Lawrence Gosden, chief executive of Southern Water, alongside one of Future Water apprentice’s, Esther Boafo, and students from local schools.
An environmentally conscious project, the new infrastructure is set to store 8.7 billion litres of water, and (under current plans) will enable a transfer of 21 million litres per day to Southern Water.
This will allow for a reduction in abstraction from two globally rare chalk streams in Hampshire; the River Test and River Itchen.
Geraint Thomas, Jones Bros contracts director and Future Water director, said: “It’s exciting to be working on such a significant project, and with more than 150 years’ experience between us and Mackley, I am certain the work will be completed to the highest standard.
“Furthermore, the scheme is a brilliant opportunity to support local supply chains and help apprentices and trainees enter the world of civil engineering through undertaking hands-on work experience with us.”
Bob Taylor, chief executive of Portsmouth Water, said: “I am delighted to announce that work to create the new Havant Thicket Reservoir has officially begun.
“As well as breaking ground quite literally here on site, this milestone represents a ground-breaking moment for the water industry as a whole.”
Established in the 1950s, Jones Bros owns one of the largest plant fleets in the UK and employs approximately 500 people.
The company is currently working on contracts in various sectors including highways, flood and marine defence, waste management and renewable energy around the UK.
The company runs an award-winning apprenticeship scheme, which has produced nearly 40 per cent of its current workforce, with many of its senior managers having started out as apprentices or in a trainee role. It has recruited hundreds of apprentices over the years.