South East Water is going underground in west Kent to help provide up to an extra one million litres of drinking water every day.

The company is drilling a new, second borehole at its Kemsing Water Treatment Works in Kemsing, near Sevenoaks, to tap into water supplies which are stored deep below the site in natural, underground aquifers. The first borehole was drilled at the site in early 2007, in a scheme that was fast-tracked by the company as a response to the serious two-year drought which hit the region from 2004-2006.

Now, the company is investing a further £250,000 at Kemsing to develop new water sources, as well as improve the treatment process at its treatment works, to help secure drinking water supplies.Trevor Muten, Water Resources Manager at South East Water, said:

“This project is among a number of investment schemes we are carrying out to tap into new sources and provide enough water to meet both existing and future customer demand.

“This deep sandstone aquifer is a natural, valuable store of water and so it is vital we maximise the water supply potential of this source to ensure customers have enough water for all their important everyday needs, such as drinking, washing and cooking.”

Last week a specialist drilling machine began driving a second 70 metre (230 feet) deep shaft down into the same sandstone aquifer. Once drilling is completed in February 2009, contractors will lower special pumps into the bottom of the borehole and carry out a series of pumping tests to lift water up to the surface.If the tests are successful, the borehole could become operational by Spring 2009 and, once the water is treated, it will help meet future demand for water.