South East Water is nearing completion of its major multi-million pound project water project to increase its capacity to move water to and from Crowthorne Service Reservoir in Swinley Forest.

Following months of work constructing the essential new pipeline, which runs through the forest,  the water company is now working with Natural England to enhance the forest’s value to rare wildlife.

Engineering and environmental experts at the company have joined forces on the initiative to leave a rich and diverse landscape as its legacy in Swinley Forest.

Having cleared trees to lay the pipes, South East Water and contractor Farrans Construction are now spreading grass and wild heather seed onto the land to establish new heathland. This will create an ideal habitat for rare ground nesting birds which migrate to the area every summer.

Steve Newman, South East Water Lead Environmental Engineer, said:

“We have collected seed from the nearby heathland and the idea is that heather and grasses will grow to create the new landscape. To increase the chances of success we will keep some of the collected seed over winter and sow it in the Spring.”

“While our aim as a water company is to supply people’s homes with top quality tap water we take our role as a guardian of the environment very seriously.

“In addition to the new heathland we are creating  we have relocated a number of reptiles away from our working area, put up special fencing to keep the rare and protected Great Crested Newts safe, provided natural new homes for a colony of stag beetles and timed our work to minimise the impact on ground nesting birds.”

The work to increase South East Water’s ability to move water to and from Crowthorne Service Reservoir, located in the forest, will mean a more secure water supply for residents in Berkshire, Surrey and Hampshire.