The Poole Water Recycling and Transfer Scheme has cleared the final Gate 3 stage of the Regulators’ Alliance for Progressing Infrastructure Development (RAPID) process, allowing South West Water and Wessex Water to continue developing the project. RAPID’s Gate 3 assessment is intended to ensure that strategic water-resource schemes are sufficiently advanced in areas such as engineering, environmental assessment, stakeholder engagement and preparation for planning applications. 

The scheme is being developed by South West Water and Wessex Water through the West Country Water and Environment partnership. It is intended to strengthen long-term water security in the region by creating an additional, drought-resilient source of supply while reducing pressure on existing river abstractions. The proposed system could provide up to 25 million litres of water per day. The project will use advanced water-recycling technology to treat final effluent from Poole Wastewater Treatment Works. Following advanced treatment, the recycled water would be released into the River Stour and subsequently abstracted downstream. It would then undergo conventional drinking-water treatment before entering the public supply system. The approach is known as indirect potable reuse and is intended to provide a reliable resource during periods of drought and water stress. 

Passing Gate 3 does not constitute final planning approval or a decision to construct the scheme. Instead, it enables the project to move into more detailed development, including engineering design, environmental work, cost development and preparation for the required planning and environmental consents. The scheme forms part of a wider programme of strategic water-resource projects being advanced in the West Country. Alongside Poole Water Recycling and Transfer, South West Water and Wessex Water are progressing the Cheddar 2 Reservoir and Transfer project, while the Mendip Quarries project is another proposed regional water-resource solution.