River Test, Drought Permit Application

STATUTORY NOTICE FOR DROUGHT PERMIT APPLICATION
SOUTHERN WATER SERVICES LIMITED TEST SURFACE WATER DROUGHT PERMIT SECTIONS 79A OF THE WATER RESOURCES ACT 1991

Southern Water Services Limited ("Southern Water") HEREBY GIVES NOTICE that due to the threat of a serious deficiency of water supplies in the Hampshire and Isle of Wight water supply areas, that will result should the River Test flow recede to the level limiting abstraction within its abstraction licence, Southern Water of Southern House, Yeoman Road, Worthing, West Sussex, BN13 3NX, is applying to the Environment Agency for a Drought Permit under Section 79A of the Water Resources Act 1991 (as amended by the Environment Act 1995). Southern Water is licensed to abstract water from the River Test (licence number 11/42/18.16/546, as amended on 15 March 2019 ("the Licence"). Under the terms of the Licence, Southern Water is allowed to abstract a maximum quantity of 29,200 Megalitres per year, 80 Megalitres per day or 3.5 Megalitres per hour, subject to the Total Test Flow ("TTF") remaining above the Hands-off Flow ("HoF") of 355 Megalitres per day. The proposed drought permit will involve an amendment to the Licence to reduce the HoF condition from a TTF of 355 Megalitres per day to 265 Megalitres day. The proposed Drought Permit, if granted, will allow Southern Water to continue to abstract water to the lower HoF in the River Test. This water is necessary to secure the supplies of water made available to the public and to commercial users. Southern Water will show that the threat of a deficiency of water supply relates to an "exceptional shortage of rainfall." within its drought permit application. The Environment Assessment Report has indicated that potential ecological impacts on the River Test SSSI are uncertain. A monitoring and mitigation programme has been agreed with the Environment Agency and Natural England, with advice from the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust to mitigate this uncertainty. Anyone may inspect the proposals, free of charge, at: -Southern Water's head office Southern House, Yeoman Road, Worthing, West Sussex, BN13 3NX, or -Environment Agency at Romsey Office, Canal Walk, Station Road, Romsey SO51 7LP, or -Totton Library in Library Road, Totton, Southampton SO40 3RS, or -Eastleigh Library at 1st Floor, Swan Centre, Eastleigh SO50 5SF between the hours of 10.00 a.m. and 4.00 p.m., Monday to Friday, from Thursday 21st July until Wednesday 27th July (except for the libraries, which are closed on Wednesdays). Summaries of the application will be hosted at www.southernwater.co.uk/our-story/water-resources-planning/hampshire-drought and further details of technical aspects can be obtained by emailing Nigel.Hepworth@southernwater.co.uk. Objections may be made in writing to the Environment Agency Permitting and Support Centre, Water Resources Team, Quadrant 2, 99 Parkway Avenue, Parkway Business Park, Sheffield, S9 4WF or by email to psc-waterresources@environment-agency.gov.uk, stating the grounds of the objection and giving an address or email address to which correspondence relating to the objection may be sent. The Environment Agency will pass to the applicant a copy of any objection it receives. Objections should be made immediately and, in any event, by the end of Wednesday 27th July. The Environment Agency will decide by the end of Friday 29th July whether a public hearing shall be convened for the purpose of considering objections. If a hearing is to be convened, the date of this hearing shall be in the week commencing 1st August 2022 and the location of this hearing shall be in the Winchester Royal Hotel, St Peter Street, Winchester, SO23 8BS. A further hearing relating to exceptional shortage of rain may be convened about a week later, if required. Notice as to whether this hearing shall proceed and its confirmed date shall be available to view at Southern Water's head office Southern House, Yeoman Road, Worthing, West Sussex, BN13 3NX, or at the Environment Agency at Canal Walk, Station Road, Romsey SO51 7LP, or at Totton Library, Library Road, Totton, Southampton SO40 3RS, or at Eastleigh Library at 1st Floor, Swan Centre, Eastleigh SO50 5SF between the hours of 10.00 a.m. and 4.00 p.m., Monday to Friday, and on-line at www.southernwater.co.uk/our-story/water-resources-planning/hampshire-drought by the end of Friday 29th July.
Southern Water Services
19 July 2022