Sandown Water Recycling Project
We’re planning to introduce a Water Recycling Plant in Sandown, to provide a new source of water for our customers on the Isle of Wight and reduce the reliance on the mainland.
Why does the Isle of Wight need water recycling?
Currently, around one-third of the Isle of Wight’s water supply comes from the River Test in Hampshire and is pumped across to the Island via the Cross-Solent Main. However, we need to find new sustainable sources of water to help keep taps and rivers flowing, following reductions in the amount of water we can take from the River Test and its associated aquifer. This need is amplified by the pressures of a growing population and changing climate.
Our Water Recycling Plant
We’re proposing to recycle wastewater at our Sandown Wastewater Treatment Works. We plan to use advanced wastewater treatment processes at a new facility to clean the water before it is transferred to our proposed new water recycling plant. At the water recycling plant, the treated wastewater would be purified further using tried and tested advanced water recycling techniques. Further information on the treatment process can be found on the water recycling page.
After purification the treated recycled water would be used to supplement the Eastern River Yar levels for further abstraction downstream. The water would then be pumped to the existing Sandown Water Supply Works where it would be treated to drinking water standards and supplied to our customers on the Isle of Wight.
The new pipeline
We’re also proposing to build new water transfer pipelines and pumping stations to connect our proposed new Water Recycling Plant to our existing Sandown Water Supply Works.
Throughout 2023, we’ll be undertaking ground surveys to work out the best route for the new water pipeline. We’ll have a proposed route later in 2024, which will be shared at a public consultation, expected in late 2024. The consultation will be open to everyone, who will be invited to give their views on the developing proposals to help shape them.
Map of our proposed Water Recycling Plant
Just like water across the country has its own distinct taste influenced by the geology of the local area, the water taken from the river during a drought may taste different from existing supplies due to the change in source. This water will, of course, continue to meet strict drinking water quality standards and be wholesome to drink. We’re working with a range of international experts, our regulators and environmental organisations to develop our plans.
These proposals are subject to further engagement, consultation, and planning consent. Water recycling is just one of our strategic solutions we're exploring to address water shortages on the Island and across Hampshire, including reducing leakage and improving water efficiency.
Timeline
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 2019 | Water Resources Management Plan published |
| 2024 | Public consultation |
| 2024 | Anticipated consent application submission |
| 2024 | Consent application decision |
| 2025 | Construction starts |
| 2027 | Sandown water recycling plant operation |
FAQs
Will water recycling be used just in a drought or more regularly?
The Sandown Water Recycling Project is being developed for use primarily during periods of drought. To ensure the continued availability and cleanliness of the water recycling plant and associated pipelines, a continuous ‘sweetening flow’ of water would be pumped into the River Yar and abstracted at Southern Water’s Sandown Water Supply Works for further treatment.
Why not look at storing winter rainfall in aquifers?
Aquifer storage and recovery is where treated water is pumped into an aquifer when surplus water is available to be subsequently abstracted during a drought. It needs the aquifer to be “confined” – where it’s one separate underground body of water where the water would remain.
In investigating this as an option this was not considered as viable due to various constraints within the region.
Why a water recycling plant on the Isle of Wight?
Climate change and population growth mean we need to find more water, which is a concern across all Southern Water regions but particularly on the Isle of Wight and Hampshire. Currently the River Test in Hampshire provides 30% of water for the Isle of Wight – the Water Recycling Plant will allow the island to be more resilient in terms of water supply and less reliant on the mainland.
Reject stream
Impurities removed from the recycled water would be released back into the Solent via the existing long sea outfall or short sea outfall (these options are currently being explored). This is called the reject stream and will mix with the remaining treated wastewater from Sandown.
As the source water for water recycling is the treated wastewater from Sandown Wastewater Treatment Works, there will be no increase in impurities in the reject stream (as these impurities would have already been in the treated wastewater) but they will be more concentrated. We are surveying the marine environment and modelling the reject stream quality and exploring with the Environment Agency whether this increase in concentration requires any application to amend our current permit for the long sea outfall.
Further information on water recycling
Find out more about the tried and tested advanced treatment process of water recycling, what our customers think and other water recycling proposals across our region.