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Securing water supplies for future generations
Population growth, climate change and environmental protection are increasing pressure on our water resources. Demand for water is rising but less is available from the region’s existing water sources.
Water Resources South East (WRSE) is working hard to ensure a resilient supply for you and future generations. Our role is to plan how best we manage the region’s water resources and where we need to invest for the future.
We aim to ensure an affordable, resilient and sustainable water supply for the public, industry and the natural environment.
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Water Resources South East (WRSE) is an alliance of the six water companies in South East England.
We are taking a collaborative, regional approach to planning water resources to secure supplies for the future and address the challenges that are facing the region.
Our regional plan provides a blueprint for water supply investment by each water company in the region so they can continue to provide an affordable, resilient and sustainable water supply for their customers while protecting and enhancing nature.
The map and timeline below show the schemes in our revised draft regional plan for 2025 to 2075 and reflect Southern Water's revised draft Water Resources Management plan.
You can find our revised draft regional plan and other supporting documents in the Library and sign up to our newsletter at the bottom of this page to receive updates about work.
We expect to finalise our regional plan in 2025.
Water Companies
South East Water
SES Water
Affinity Water
Southern Water
Thames Water
Portsmouth Water
Key
Water transfer
Transfer direction
Reservoir
Water Recycling
Desalination
Aquifer Storage Recovery
Water efficiency and leakage REGION WIDE
Catchment Management REGION WIDE
Groundwater Improvement SPECIFIC LOCATIONS
Water transfer
Grand Union Canal (GUC) water transfer
Water company: Affinity Water
Scheme type: Water transfer (into region)
Water available: up to 100 Ml/d
Completion date: 2032
Aquifer Storage
Epping aquifer storage and recovery
Water company: Affinity Water
Scheme type: Aquifer Storage Recovery
Amount of water available: up to 8 Ml/d
Completion date: 2050 to 2075
Aquifer Storage
River Test Managed Aquifer Recharge
Water company: Southern Water
Scheme type: Aquifer Storage Recovery
Amount of water available: up to 5.5 Ml/d
Completion date: 2036
Desalination
Thames estuary desalination, Kent
Water company: Southern Water
Scheme type: Desalination
Amount of water available: up to 40 Ml/d
Completion date: by 2040
Further investigations on desalination and water recycling options will determine if a more strategic solution is available in Kent.
Desalination
Isle of Sheppey desalination
Water company: Southern Water
Scheme type: Desalination
Water available: up to 20 Ml/d
Completion date: 2046
Further investigations on desalination and water recycling options will determine if a more strategic solution is available in Kent.
Desalination
Reculver desalination
Water company: South East Water
Scheme type: Desalination
Water available: up to 30 Ml/d
Completion date: 2044
Further investigations on desalination and water recycling options will determine if a more strategic solution is available in Kent.
Desalination
East Thanet desalination
Water company: Southern Water
Scheme type: Desalination
Water available: up to 40 Ml/d across two phases
Completion date: from 2041 (phase 1), by 2050 (phase 2)
Further investigations on desalination and water recycling options will determine if a more strategic solution is available in Kent.
Desalination
Hythe desalination
Water company: Affinity Water
Scheme type: Desalination
Water available: up to 5 Ml/d
Completion date: 2050
Further investigations on desalination and water recycling options will determine if a more strategic solution is available in Kent.
Desalination
Tidal River Arun desalination
Water company: Southern Water
Scheme type: Desalination
Water available: up to 30 Ml/d across two phases
Completion date: 2048 (Phase 1), 2059 (phase 2)
Reservoir
South East Strategic Reservoir Option (SESRO)
Water company: operated by Thames Water, supplying water to Affinity Water and Southern Water
Scheme type: Reservoir
Water available: up to 271 Ml/d
Completion date: 2040
Reservoir
Havant Thicket reservoir
Water company: Portsmouth Water and Southern Water
Scheme type: Reservoir
Water available: up to 21 Ml/d
Completion date: 2031
Reservoir
River Adur offline reservoir
Water company: Southern Water
Scheme type: Reservoir
Water available: up to 19.5 Ml/d
Completion date: 2046
Reservoir
New Arlington reservoir
Water company: South East Water
Scheme type: Reservoir
Water available: 8.6 Ml/d
Completion date: 2057
Reservoir
Bewl Reservoir raising
Water company: Southern Water
Scheme type: Reservoir
Water available: 3 Ml/d
Completion date: 2061
Reservoir
Broad Oak reservoir
Water company: South East Water
Scheme type: Reservoir
Water available: up to 12.6 Ml/d
Completion date: 2036
Water Recycling
Hampshire Water Transfer and Water Recycling Project
Water company: Southern Water
Scheme type: Water recycling, water transfer (within region)
Water available: up to 60 Ml/d
Completion date: by 2034
Water Recycling
Sandown water recycling
Water company: Southern Water
Scheme type: Water recycling
Water available: up to 8.5 Ml/d
Completion date: 2030
Water Recycling
Littlehampton water recycling
Water company: Southern Water
Scheme type: Water recycling
Water available: up to 15 Ml/d
Completion date: 2031
Water Recycling
Horsham water recycling
Water company: Southern Water
Scheme type: Water recycling
Water available: 6.8 Ml/d
Completion date: 2068
Water Recycling
Hastings water recycling
Water company: Southern Water
Scheme type: Water recycling
Water available: up to 15.3 Ml/d
Completion date: 2050
Further investigations on desalination and water recycling options will determine if a more strategic solution is available in Kent and East Sussex.
Water Recycling
Hythe water recycling
Water company: Affinity Water
Water available: up to 5 Ml/d
Completion date: 2053
Further investigations on desalination and water recycling options will determine if a more strategic solution is available in Kent.
Water Recycling
Aylesford water recycling
Water company: Southern Water
Scheme type: Water recycling
Water available: up to 7.5 Ml/d
Completion date: 2031
Water Recycling
River Medway water recycling
Water company: Southern Water
Scheme type: Water recycling
Water available: up to 14 Ml/d
Completion date: 2031
Water Recycling
Teddington Direct River Abstraction
Water company: Thames Water
Scheme type: Water recycling
Amount of water available: up to 67 Ml/d
Completion date: 2033
Water transfer
Thames to Southern Transfer
Water company: Thames Water and Southern Water
Scheme type: Water transfer (within region)
Water available: up to 120 Ml/d
Completion date: 2040
Water transfer
Thames to Affinity transfer
Water company: Thames Water and Affinity Water
Scheme type: Water transfer (within region)
Water available: up to 100 Ml/d over two phases
Completion date: 2045 (phase 1) 2050 (phase 2)
Find out more – Thames Water, Affinity Water
2025 to 2075 timeline
Timeline shows the date the schemes are first used to provide water
2025
Leakage, smart metering and water efficiency.
2030
Water Recycling Sandown
Havant Thicket reservoir
Water Recycling Littlehampton and River Medway
Grand Union Canal transfer
Water Recycling Sittingbourne
Teddington direct river abstraction supported by water recycling
Groundwater schemes
Hampshire water transfer water recycling
2035
Aquifer Storage Recovery Scheme
Broad Oak reservoir
Groundwater schemes
2040
South East Strategic Reservoir Option (SESRO)
Thames Water to Southern Water transfer
Desalination Thames estuary and East Thanet *
2045
Thames Water to Affinity Water transfer
Desalination Isle of Sheppey *
River Adur offline reservoir
Tidal River Arun desalination
2050
Desalination Hythe*
Groundwater schemes
Hythe water recycling*
Water Recycling Hastings*
2055
New Arlington reservoir
2060
Bewl reservoir raising
Aquifer Storage Recovery Scheme
2065
Horsham water recycling
Groundwater schemes
2070
*Further investigations on desalination and water recycling options will determine if a more strategic solution is available in Kent.
LATEST UPDATES
Environmental destination and regional planning
March 20, 2025
Ahead of an Environment Agency consultation on environmental destination methodologies, and the next National Framework for Water Resources, Organisational Director Lee Dance explains what impact the policy could have on public water supplies and other abstractors.
Drought planning come rain or shine. Why collaboration is key to clearer communications
March 4, 2025
In December 2024, the Environment Agency launched a consultation into its updated Drought Plan guidance. In this blog, Penny Hodge, communications advisor to WRSE explores what this could mean for regional groups and opportunities for collaboration.
