We were delighted to welcome Jack to Future Water, where he joined us for a week of work experience and gained valuable insight into the world of infrastructure delivery.

Jack connected with us through the Education Development Trust (EDT) mentoring scheme, an initiative we are proud to support. EDT plays a vital role in linking young people with industry, offering mentoring, work experience opportunities, and a range of programmes designed to build skills, confidence, and awareness of future career pathways.

During his time with us, Jack experienced a wide cross-section of the project, spending time with teams across Earthworks, Design, Health & Safety, Environmental, and Delivery. This hands-on exposure provided him with a deeper understanding of the collaboration, expertise, and coordination required to successfully deliver a major infrastructure scheme.

Reflecting on his experience, Jack said:

“It’s been great to see so many professionals and engineers at work. This placement has given me a lot to think about in terms of my career and the sort of work I want to do in the future.”

Throughout the week, Jack demonstrated enthusiasm, curiosity, and a strong willingness to learn, qualities that will undoubtedly support him in his future career.

At Future Water, we are committed to supporting young people as they take their first steps into the construction and infrastructure industry. Providing opportunities like this is an important part of how we help develop the next generation of talent.

We would like to thank Jack for his time with us and wish him every success in the future.

We are proud to announce a significant milestone at Havant Thicket Reservoir, as works have now progressed above natural ground level for the first time.

This achievement marks the successful completion of the ground improvement phase, an essential stage in preparing the reservoir for long-term stability and performance. During this phase, the site was carefully lowered by approximately two metres before being rebuilt, layer by layer, back up to natural ground level.

While the transformation may appear modest from the surface, the scale and precision of work required to reach this point has been substantial. Key achievements during this phase include:

• Over 1.5 million tonnes of clay placed in engineered layers, each typically 150–200mm thick
• Every layer compacted through multiple roller passes to meet rigorous engineering standards
• Approximately 75,000 truckloads of material transported, placed, and managed across the site
• Installation of around 160,000 tonnes of sand to support the ground improvement process

With this phase now complete, construction continues above ground using the same meticulous methodology. Material will be placed and compacted in carefully controlled layers, gradually building the structure to form a safe, durable reservoir embankment designed to stand the test of time.

Reaching this milestone is a testament to the skill, dedication, and consistency of the teams working on site day in, day out. Their commitment ensures that every layer meets the high standards required for a project of this scale and importance.

As part of Portsmouth Water’s Havant Thicket Reservoir project, this progress represents an exciting step forward in delivering a vital piece of infrastructure that will support water resilience for the region for generations to come.

Future Water is pleased to be featured in the latest edition of GEM Magazine, published by the Dewatering Institute.

The article highlights the delivery of the cut-off wall at Havant Thicket Reservoir, a key milestone in the project and a significant element of the scheme’s engineering design. The feature provides insight into the approach taken on site and the scale of coordination required to successfully deliver this complex work.

As one of the defining components of the reservoir, the cut-off wall plays an important role in the overall performance and long-term resilience of the asset. Its delivery reflects the collaborative effort across the Future Water joint venture, bringing together technical expertise, careful planning, and consistent delivery on site.

Being featured in GEM Magazine provides an opportunity to share this work with a wider industry audience, contributing to ongoing dialogue around engineering, construction and water infrastructure in the UK.

The Dewatering Institute’s publication is widely recognised across the sector, and it is positive to see the progress at Havant Thicket Reservoir showcased within this forum.

Read the full article in GEM Magazine:
https://dewateringinst.com/the-gem-magazine4/

Future Water were pleased to recently welcome representatives from the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA) to the Havant Thicket Reservoir site.

The visit provided an opportunity to share the latest progress on the project and to offer insight into how Portsmouth Water and Future Water are working together to deliver this important piece of regional water infrastructure.

During the tour, the NISTA team heard directly from those leading the project about the purpose of Havant Thicket Reservoir and the benefits it will bring once complete, including supporting the protection of local Chalk streams.

Colleagues from both Portsmouth Water and Future Water highlighted key milestones achieved to date, the scale of construction activity underway, and how teams across the project are collaborating to maintain momentum.

The visit concluded with a constructive and forward‑looking conversation about reservoir development in the UK. The discussion covered shared learning from major projects, opportunities to streamline processes, and ways the wider industry can continue to work together effectively to support the construction of future reservoirs.

The open exchange of views provided valuable insight and reinforced the importance of partnership working in delivering nationally significant infrastructure.

Future Water would like to thank NISTA for visiting the Havant Thicket Reservoir site and for engaging so positively in the discussions. We look forward to continuing to collaborate with partners across the sector as the project progresses.

Future Water Celebrates Major Milestone at Havant Thicket Reservoir

Future Water MJJV is proud to announce the successful completion of a major piece of work at Portsmouth Water’s Havant Thicket Reservoir, an operation that marks a UK first and demonstrates the incredible teamwork between Future Water and Portsmouth Water.

On 14 January 2026, the project team finished the first stage of the Culvert Cut‑Off Wall, a vital part of making sure the future reservoir holds water safely and securely.

What Is the Culvert Cut‑Off Wall?

To help explain this engineering challenge, imagine the reservoir embankment as a giant bathtub, and the large concrete culvert underneath it as the plug hole that will be used to empty the reservoir when water is needed. For everything to work properly, the join between these two structures must be perfectly sealed, just like the silicone seal you’d use around a bathtub at home.

Creating this seal deep underground, beneath a future reservoir, required an innovative and highly precise solution. Coffey Geotechnics Ltd led the design for a special “Cut‑Off Wall”, which acts as an underground barrier to contain the water.

A UK First Engineering Achievement

To build this barrier, Future Water constructed a 20‑tonne steel sheet pile wall on site. Standing at 9 metres high and 13 metres wide, the wall was lifted into place in one piece using a powerful 100‑tonne crane.

Before the lift, a trench was dug 8 metres deep and filled with a bentonite slurry mix. The steel wall then had to be lowered into this mixture within a tolerance of just 25 millimetres. Achieving this level of accuracy with a structure of that size is a major achievement in itself.

This solution is the first of its kind ever used in the UK, designed to meet the unique ground conditions found at Havant Thicket.

72 Hours of Non Stop Teamwork

Because the slurry starts to harden as soon as it is mixed, the team had to work continuously for over 72 hours. Teams from Future Water rotated through day and night shifts to keep the work moving safely and smoothly.

Their commitment ensured the steel wall could be installed before the slurry cured, a race against time that required planning, teamwork, and exceptional focus.

The slurry will now be left to cure for 28 days. Later this year, the steel wall will be connected to the concrete culvert, and the embankment will be built over the top. This will complete the Culvert Cut‑Off ahead of the main embankment construction in 2026 and 2028.

An environmentally-led project

The completion of the Culvert Cut‑Off Wall is a major step forward for Portsmouth Water’s Havant Thicket Reservoir, an environmentally-led project that will play a key role in protecting two internationally renowned chalk streams in Hampshire, the River Test and River Itchen.

This achievement reflects innovation, collaboration, and the shared commitment of everyone involved. Future Water and Portsmouth Water are proud to celebrate this moment as work continues toward delivering the first new reservoir in the region in decades.

“The successful completion of the Culvert Cut-Off marks a critical technical milestone for the Reservoir project. Delivery of this element relied on close collaboration with Keller and Coffey Geotechnical, whose expertise were instrumental in achieving seamless execution. This UK-first solution was specifically developed to suit the site’s ground conditions and provides a robust hydraulic barrier between the culvert and underlain strata, and long-term reservoir performance and enabling the next phase of construction. While the works themselves were completed on site within a matter of days and without hindrance, this efficiency was the direct result of many more hours invested in design development, planning, and preparation, it was a true team effort.”  – Ryan George, Project Manager, Future Water

Visitors to our Havant Thicket Reservoir site were treated to an extraordinary sight recently, a white stag, now affectionately named Casper, roaming near the works. While deer are not uncommon here (we’ve previously seen a stag, does, and even a young fawn), this is the first time we’ve encountered a white deer.

Why is this so special?

White deer are extremely rare in the UK. Their distinctive appearance is usually caused by leucism, a genetic condition that results in reduced pigmentation, or occasionally by albinism. Unlike albino animals, leucistic deer typically have normal eye colour and are perfectly healthy.

Monitoring and Welfare

Our Environmental Team has been monitoring Casper from a distance as a precaution, but we have no concerns about his welfare or his ability to leave the site. He is being left undisturbed to roam freely.

Wildlife at Havant Thicket Reservoir

This sighting highlights the wildlife that continues to flourish around Portsmouth Water’s Havant Thicket Reservoir, as we deliver an environmentally led project that secures vital water supplies while creating new habitats and green spaces for the future.

Future Water was proud to attend the Earthworks 2025 Conference, hosted by the British Geotechnical Society, bringing together leading minds in geotechnical engineering, sustainable construction, and earthworks innovation.

The event kicked off with a welcome reception at the Lapworth Museum of Geology, home to over 4.6 billion years of geological history. Our team was treated to a rare behind-the-scenes tour, where they explored extraordinary specimens, including one of the most well-preserved trilobite fossils ever discovered in the UK. This immersive experience set the tone for a conference focused on the intersection of science, engineering, and environmental stewardship.

The two-day conference featured a series of thought-provoking keynote presentations and technical talks:

• Day One Highlights:
  • A keynote by Dr. John Perry, Independent Consulting Engineer, explored the evolution of earthworks design and construction.
  • Sessions covered topics such as resilient and sustainable earthworks, modern design practices, and risk management through monitoring.
• Day Two Highlights:
  • A keynote on Earth Dam Engineering: Past, Present, and Future.
  • Talks focused on case histories, earthworks trials, specification and treatment techniques, and advances in plant and construction technologies.

Between sessions, Future Water had the opportunity to exhibit our latest work, showcasing how we’re pushing boundaries in sustainable infrastructure and water management. Our stand attracted interest from a wide range of industry professionals, allowing us to connect with like-minded organisations, share project stories, and explore potential collaborations.

This event was not only a chance to learn and reflect—it was a valuable platform for networking and knowledge exchange, reinforcing Future Water’s commitment to innovation and partnership in the geotechnical space.