Portsmouth Water is creating a new reservoir in Hampshire to protect world-renowned chalk streams – the River Test and the River Itchen.

The reservoir is an environmentally-led project that will help to safeguard internationally-rare rivers in Hampshire by providing an alternative, sustainable source of water.

The reservoir will be built on the grassland site next to Havant Thicket, which sits in between Rowlands Castle, Leigh Park and Staunton Country Park in Havant.

As well as well as protecting some of the county’s rare river habitats, it will also provide a new green, leisure facility for local communities.

It will be the first new reservoir to be built in the South East since the 1970s and is being developed in collaboration with Southern Water who are funding the project.