We've completed an £11 million project to lay 11.7 kilometres of water main between Fleet and Odiham, Hampshire.

This investment was required due to the predicted increase in population and demand in the coming years.

To reinforce our network and draw in larger volumes of water from other areas of our underground system, we needed to install the new pipe before April 2023.

Route map

Fleet to Greywell map

Work started in June 2021 and the project was completed two weeks ahead of schedule in early 2023, with the new pipeline commissioned in January 2023.

Teams of engineering, environmental and construction experts overcame a series of hurdles to lay the new water main.

This included having to dig beneath a golf course and protecting endangered animals using specially-trained sniffer dogs.

Work started in Poland Lane, Odiham and progressed through Bagwell Lane and various roads around the village of Winchfield.

Pipe was also installed beneath the River Hart, through Elvetham Heath and beneath North Hants Golf Club using horizontal directional drilling. The new water main also runs along Cove Road in Fleet.

We also used the horizontal directional drilling method to tunnel under Fleet Brook, Basingstoke Canal Site of Special Scientific Interest and the A287 during the project.

You can click the button below to watch a video of the work we did to install more than one kilometre of pipeline under North Hants Golf Club.

Project presentation

To find out how we completed the drilling under North Hants Golf Club and navigated main roads, fields, a railway line, rivers and a site of special scientific interest, see our presentation below.

Project photos

Pipework is laid out in a field
A close up picture of new pipework
A pipe in a field is inspected
Dogs in a field with a woman in front of a South East Water van
Sniffer dogs were used as part of the project to help protect endangered species, including great crested newts.
A South East Water employee inspects a pipe
Pipework is laid out under a bridge
Pipework is put in place at North Hants Golf Club
More than one kilometre of pipeline was installed under North Hants Golf Club using horizontal directional drilling

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