Portsmouth Water is to consider making more bulk supplies available to neighbouring companies, according to its latest Water Resource Management Plan published today.
The firm has published its final Water Resource Management Plan setting out its proposals for maintaining the balance between the demand for water from the company’s customers and the resources available to the company over the next 25 years.
According to the water company’s Supply/Demand Balance which compares the availability of water supplies with forecast water demand from 2015-2040, the region will be in surplus throughout the whole period. Portsmouth Water
The whole supply side forecast was revised for the Plan, including a reassessment of deployable output (DO), a consideration of sustainability reductions, an assessment of climate change, outage and treatment works losses and the impacts from bulk supplies.
Portsmouth Water said that as the baseline supply demand balance does not forecast a deficit over the planning period, the company is therefore not seeking to promote any options.
Its surplus also allows it to provide bulk supplies for export to neighbouring water companies with higher levels of water stress – the company already has an existing agreement in place with Southern Water.
Portsmouth Water said it recognises the importance of giving due consideration to potential bulk supplies and possible solutions to deficits that may be delivered by third parties and has developed a Contact Plan to explore the opportunities.
The company has worked closely with other water companies in the region both through the Water Resources in the South East Group (WRSE) and throughbilateral meetings.
The WRSE Group comprises six water companies, the Environment Agency, Ofwat, Defra, the Consumer Council for Water and Natural England. The Group was set up to determine a regional water resources strategy comprising a range of strategic options to find the best solution for customers and the environment in the South East of England.
Portsmouth Water has taken account of the outputs from the Group and included bulk supplies in its plan where these have been agreed in principle with neighbouring companies.
More recently Portsmouth Water has published its Water Resources Plans on a five yearly basis – the last plan was published in 2011.
Portsmouth Water WRMP analysis indicates that non-household demand will continue to fall over the planning period, with leakage also forecast to reduce over the planning period as a result of falling supply pipe leakage resulting from the increasing meter penetration from the take up of Optional Meters.
The company has not imposed a hosepipe ban since 1976 and Portsmouth Water customers enjoy the lowest water supply charges in England and Wales.
The company said it would, however, continue to promote water efficiency and reduce leakage to help protect the environment.
Click here to read the WRMP.
UK water companies are invited to join an upcoming webinar which will explore how the sector can take indirect potable reuse (IPR) from concept to full-scale operational reality.
James Sumsion, CEO of predictive water intelligence specialists Kohtari, says the water sector needs to take a giant leap forward, so that it can anticipate and act upon water quality issues - rather than merely react.
Ray Moulds, Sales Director at Flood Control International, takes a look at how automated sliding floodgates are supporting secondary containment at water and sewerage company sites.
With the UK government demanding a 50% reduction in storm overflow spills by 2029, the era of reactive management is over. Speaking in the House of Commons on 21 July 2025, then environment secretary Steve Reed said, “This Government will cut water companies’ sewage pollution in half by the end of the decade.”
Hear how Scottish Water has completed its £235 million Ayrshire Glasgow Resilience Project - customers across Greater Glasgow, Ayrshire and East Renfrewshire will now benefit from a more secure and resilient water supply.
Hear how United Utilities is accelerating its investment to reduce spills from storm overflows across the Northwest.
Find out more about the remarkable career opportunities on offer at WSP - scroll down to watch the inspirational video.