Portsmouth Water has published new documents in support of its Water Resources Management Plan (WRMP) which is due to be examined at a forthcoming public hearing.

Following further dialogue with the Environment Agency, Portsmouth Water has now prepared the latest updated Statement of Common Ground to assist the Inspector who will conduct the Hearing.

All the water companies have had to produce Statutory Water Resources Management Plans. In 2008 the public and interested bodies such as the Environment Agency commented on Portsmouth Water’s draft Plan. Portsmouth Water believed it had clarified a number of issues raised about the Plan in its January 2009 Statement of Response to stakeholders.

Measures in the Final Plan submitted to the Secretary of State for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) included:-

• A targeted Mains Renewal Programme
• A Leakage Savings Initiative
• A Water Efficiency Programme including the retrofitting of dual flush devices in existing toilets
• A 20 year Universal Metering Programme
• The development of a Washwater Recovery Scheme at Farlington Water Treatment Works
• The development of Havant Thicket Winter Storage Reservoir

The Secretary of State subesquently questioned the basis of Portsmouth Water’s forecasts and the appraisal process used to finalise its WRMP. Defra also advised that it required a public hearing to consider the company's Plan. A Planning Inspector has now been appointed by Defra and the Public Hearing is due to open at the Company's Head Office at West Street, Havant, Hampshire on a date yet to be decided.

The latest updated Statement of Common Ground is intended to assist the Inspector who will conduct the Hearing.

However, despite reaching agreement on further areas of common ground with the Agency, a number of matters still remain at issue. The Environment Agency does not accept the Company's household and population forecasts and still has outstanding concerns regarding the Company’s demand reduction assumptions.