Effluent Reuse at Havant Thicket.

‪Feel free to use this in your email if you would like. Thank you 😊

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‪Hello ‬

‪I am writing to raise my concerns about the proposal to fill Havant Thickett reservoir with effluent. ‬

‪1) insufficient research has been undertaken as to the impact on the local ecology‬

‪2) ancient woodland will be destroyed to make the reservoir – the payoff being the unique opportunity to create natural habitats that improve the local ecology, from natural water resources of spring water and rainfall. Climate change experts predict that winter rainfall will increase, and you should be making provisions to make the best use of natural water sources that work in harmony with the local ecology. To contaminate this with effluent is devastating to the ecology, costly to the consumer and resource intense to clean the water. It is far kinder to the environment, consumers’ wallets, and smarter in the face of climate change to protect the natural water sources. I am vehemently opposed to the destruction of ancient woodland in the name of effluent storage at Havant Thicket. This usage of the reservoir is entirely inappropriate and counterproductive in a climate crisis. The amount of energy it will take to move and clean the water is unworkable, and this cost will inevitably be footed by the consumer. ‬

‪3) If effluent recycling is key to your plan for the future it makes much more sense to see sewage from Eastleigh currently being poured into the Itchen redirected to be cleaned at the Otterbourne site reducing the distance the water needs to be pumped (cheaper and more efficient) with the additional environmental benefit of protecting the Itchen. ‬

‪There are many other options to provide water that make more sense, are more cost effective, less damaging to the environment and more sustainable in a climate crisis. It is entirely inappropriate to use the reservoir for effluent storage.‬