Southern Water has ordered tanker companies to stop delivering its water to a Wiltshire estate owned by an American billionaire. The company issued the warning after discovering that some water had been used to help fill a new lake during a hosepipe ban for local households.
Residents film tankers at standpipes
Locals filmed multiple tankers loading water day and night from standpipes in neighbouring Hampshire. That area currently operates under a drought order. The vehicles later travelled to Conholt Park, a 2,500-acre estate owned by Stephen Schwarzman, one of the world’s richest men and a financial backer of former US President Donald Trump.
Schwarzman’s team confirms lake filling
A spokesperson for Schwarzman admitted a small part of the water recently helped fill a lake. They stressed the water had been provided by licensed suppliers responsible for legal extraction and delivery. They also said the supply had been adjusted following Southern Water’s request.
Legal but heavily criticised
The tankers could legally collect water in Hampshire because construction sites are not covered by drought restrictions. Yet Southern Water’s managing director Tim McMahon said he felt appalled by this use of water. The company then imposed an immediate ban on tankers extracting water from the standpipes. Southern Water admitted it did not know how much water had been taken but reported a significant spike last week. With other users also collecting water, the firm said it could not identify who had taken the most.
Locals raise alarm
The company said it was first alerted by residents in Andover who noticed the tankers. Among them was air conditioning inspector Lawrence Leask, who began tracking the vehicles at 03:00 BST. He followed them from Andover standpipes to the Wiltshire estate, which is not subject to a drought order. Leask estimated more than 30 tankers a day operated, equal to around one million litres daily. He organised a network of neighbours who filmed and logged the journeys. Trevor Marshall, one of the group, said they suspected the water was used to fill the new lake. He recorded passing tankers from his kitchen window and passed notes to Leask. “At the same time we are on a hosepipe ban. It is incredibly outrageous,” Marshall said.
Billionaire renovates vast estate
Schwarzman, worth more than £30 billion, founded Blackstone, one of the world’s largest investment funds. He bought Conholt Park in 2022 for about £80 million. Since then, the 17th-century shooting estate has undergone major renovations, including the construction of a new lake. A Blackstone statement rejected claims of wrongdoing. It said the estate’s team had taken extraordinary care to comply with local laws and regulations. As construction nears completion, a proportion of transported water has been used for irrigation and the new lake. The statement added that water was taken from several licensed sources, mostly outside the region. Any claim of illegal water use, it said, was false and misleading.
Water company promises review
Southern Water confirmed it would hold robust talks with all companies involved. McMahon said he would lead a full review of internal processes and legal gaps. “While this occurrence is rare, I want to reassure customers we will tighten monitoring and close any loopholes so this cannot happen again,” he said.
